Destruction of the Time Gate
by PHRZCumberbatch
Summary: Jane is the captain of her spaceship and is let in on a little secret: the universe is going to end. She teams together with a mysterious stranger as they head toward the end of the universe, in a race against time as members of her ship become "affected" and begin killing. I should probably give you a warning and let you know that the Doctor doesn't appear until chapter 17.
1. 01 A Mysterious Call

The shelves that lined the open bedroom were littered with several odd objects of undetermined age and worth, each of them meticulously placed with care against the mahogany wood. Beige walls surround the heavily carpeted floors, and weaved among the lush fibers of the carpet were expertly designed patterns that added color to the homely room. Paintings and pictures littered the walls, and stacked on several of the shelves were heavy, leather backed books. The smell of paper and antiques permeated the room.

The center of the square room was completely bare, leaving only the carpeted floor. A small bed was pressed to the side of the room, showing that it was living quarters but sleeping wasn't a necessity. Thin sheets stretched across the small bed, not a wrinkle in sight, proving the fact that the bed hadn't been used for quite some time. Jane stood in the center or the room, her long blonde hair cascading down her back as she examined her surroundings. She was in her own bedroom, each object on her desks and shelves was her own from over the years. She wondered what one could learn about her from examining her bedroom. Her bedroom was cluttered but clean, not a speck of dust in sight. There were no windows, those would be highly illogical because of the location of her bedroom. There was only dark, empty space around her large spaceship that she lived in.

Jane held her hand in the air and motioned towards a small monitor on the edge of the desk and swung her arm to the right, sending light streaming into the air. Transparent screens appeared all around her, each of them full of information. She peered at them curiously and then motioned with her hand again, sending them all away after catching the time and the things she needed to accomplish for the day. It was time for her to get ready and head out onto the bridge.

She turned around to glance around her bedroom, her most welcome place to be in the entire spaceship, wondering once more what could be gleaned about her from the state of her most personal space. Someone examining her room would be able to pick up that she was very sentimental about the past with her many trinkets, books, and paintings that lined her walls, several of them centuries of years old. They might wonder why her bed was never used, which would be difficult to explain as she had no need of sleep. Every living being needed rest, and yet here she stood, never sleeping a day in her extremely long life.

She didn't consider herself cursed, but if others knew the truth about her they would either shy away from her or pity her. She was a freak, stuck to live through all of time and space, an anomaly. She couldn't die and was forced to keep her secret safe from everyone she encountered, knowing that she would eventually outlive all of the people she met and interacted with.

This bedroom was her respite; her welcome alcove, so different from the stark corners and hard floors the rest of the ship offered. While she might not need rest like all of the others, her time alone was something that she relished. Aloneness is what protects her; it protects her against developing feelings for the people she knew that she would eventually watch fade away and leave her.

She was not to be bothered while in her bedroom by any of the crew, so Jane was free to do whatever she wished. Throughout the night, when the rest of her crew assumed she was sleeping, she instead brought up all of the records and activities of nearby planets. She found it satisfying to find situations where she could offer help as she scoured the many goings on of the worlds. She would keep up on politics and offer advice where she could, sometimes scouring police reports and helping to find murderers, or helping out major corporations as well. She used a secret code name as she did her research and offered her advice, sending coded messages that couldn't be traced back to her, all of them labeled "Metis."

She had grown very adept at giving aid from behind the scenes without being noticed over the centuries. She had an unquenchable desire to do whatever she could to help lift others to make their lives easier; being immortal helped her to realize just how important living life to the fullest was.

She turned to a doorway in her room, its dark wood standing out against the beige walls. She held her hand to a scanner at the side of the door and with a silent exhaust of air the door slid to the side and disappeared into the wall. She stepped into the bright bathroom among the white walls and shining linoleum floors. She glanced at herself in the mirror, her blue eyes illuminated by the bright lights. She brushed back her long blonde hair into a high ponytail and turned to grab her clothes that were pressed against the wall by an invisible hand. She slipped out of her silk robe, letting it fall to the floor and grabbed her black pants from the wall, letting her fingers run through the tight, stretchy material. She pulled them up her legs as the material clung to her tightly, accentuating the form of her calves and thighs. She grabbed a belt that hung in the air next to her other clothes and strung it through the loops around her waist. In the place of a regular belt buckle was a silver button, which she pressed as the belt automatically tightened itself around her to the perfect fit.

She slipped on her blue shirt, a perfect match of color to her dark blue eyes. The material was the same as her pants, forming to her like an extra layer of skin, flexible yet thick to protect against the elements. The sleeves extended to the end of her wrist, covering a small silver bracelet that looped around her right wrist. Next she slipped on her long black boots over her feet, they continued to extend up her calves almost to her knees, perfectly forming themselves to her and tightening automatically. They were made of a thick, leather type of material, the high heels and soles of her shoes formed of a hard rubber that created a loud click as she walked.

She exited her bright bathroom and once again crossed the threshold of her room to the glass doors that were currently darkened so that no one from the outside could look in. She waved her hand over the glass partition and automatically the darkness dissipated until she could look out to the long hallway extending towards a lone lift at the end. She waved her hand again as the doors slid open with a silent hiss; she passed between them, her heels clicking against the shiny white floors. The walls of the hallway were bare, the color a bleached white, the corners sharp and contrasting.

She walked to the elevator completely undisturbed and waved her hand over the sensor. A quiet beep sounded in the air and the heavy doors slid open. She stepped inside of the small compartment and pushed the button that would lead her to to the next level down and stood with her back straight, right on time to be making her entrance. The clock to her right said 0800 precisely, just the time when she was assigned to be on the deck.

The doors to the lift slid open and before her stood her second in command, a Treshiss from the planet Demotoid. Her green scales seemed to shine against the bright light overhead. She had the same form as a humanoid except for the green, scaly skin and lack of hair. The Treshiss had been working with Jane for years, and she knew that she could trust her companion with her life.

"Captain." The Treshiss said, barely pausing to look up from her e-book. Her forehead extended very high and small ridges and bumps lined her head against the scales. She was one of the few crew members that were allowed onto the bridge of the control room and in the hallway leading to Jane's personal quarters.

"Triss." Jane acknowledged with a bow of her head as she walked down the hallway to stand near her associate. She held her hand over the sensors near the door, and with a hiss the doors slid open. Triss remained to the side as Jane stepped through the doorway to the center of the bridge and examined her workers around her. She was on a raised circular platform above the rest of the large area, the high ceiling and open atmosphere accentuating the space. Below her and extending out out to the front of the spaceship were rows upon rows of her crew members.

Upon her entrance all of her workers had snapped to attention, they stood with their backs straight and heels together as they stiffly held their right hands to their temples. Her crew members were all a mix of several different races spanning across several planets, though most of her group were considered humanoids. Aliens and humans alike stood in their rows, all at attention in respect for their captain. Their skin colors, shapes, sizes and anatomy were all different, but one thing remained the same; their uniforms. Each crew member wore dark red shirts with small insignias over the right chest and tight black pants and belt with the silver buckles. Their black boots were no way near as high as Jane's, and instead only extended a small area above their ankles. Jane's uniform differed in color and the rank of insignia she had on her chest, but she had specially requested taller boots and had received no confrontation on the matter.

"At ease." Jane stated as she peered around her, taking in her surroundings. Each member of her crew were required to speak the intergalactic language of the Queen's English that was from the planet earth. Her crew relaxed and turned back to their duties, sitting back into their chairs, a few turning where they stood, to tap and motion towards the transparent screens in front of them. They were lined into long rows, each of them with their own space to examine their screens and keep the ship running and functioning smoothly.

"Report." Jane said kindly as she looked behind her to her associate who had remained standing in the doorway. Triss was wearing a red shirt and skirt, the style completely different from the assigned uniforms the rest of the crew were required to wear. It was of the same material as Jane's, though the design was custom. The skirt fit nicely against her thighs but stopped well above her scaly green knees, and the sleeves of her shirt only extended to her elbows. Triss had designed it herself, and because of her position Jane had relented and let her choose her own clothing, her request reminding her of her own altercations to her own personal uniform. The two of them were peculiar in their tastes, as no other crew member had any conflict with their uniforms.

Triss had been her second in command for years, and was extremely loyal and obedient to Jane. Though Jane was of higher rank, she treated Triss as an equal and put complete trust into her.

"We should arrive in the Medusa Nebula shortly, the ship has been running smoothly and we have experienced no difficulties since you were last on the bridge." Triss reported, drawing out every "s" with a hiss as she typed into her e-book, a small tablet that was outdated for the times but she preferred the old technology. Jane couldn't blame her for wanting to keep things from the past, as her own room was littered with things she had picked up over the years that had sentimental value to her. She liked to keep the past close to her, loving the influx of old memories as she examined her many odd trinkets.

"Excellent." Jane responded as she stepped away from the circular platform she stood on to a small staircase by the side of the bridge. As she stepped down the stairs she noticed that the crew members closest to her stood or sat straighter and began typing and motioning faster with more precise movements as she approached. Each crew member had a choice of standing or using a chair, while the chairs were more popular for several of the humanoids, there were still those who preferred to stand. The chairs were dark black with high backs, though it seemed as though no one near her were resting far back enough to touch the back of their chairs and instead sat on the edge of their seats to look fully engaged with their work. Jane knew that her crew members respected her. Several of them had gone through life or death challenges by her side, gaining confidence in her leading abilities and putting their lives into her hands.

The crew members in the control room were all of the highest and best trained of her ship, each of them representing and controlling every aspect of the ship. Only the best were allowed into the control room, and each of them acted as leaders and main officers for the rest of the ship: in charge of communications, transport, supplies, and maintaining the order of the ship. They each played a specific role which they were highly trained for.

She had been the captain of the large spaceship for several years now, working for the intergalactic peace organization, otherwise known as the Star Fleet. They were a type of police force; establishing peace and communications among the many planetary systems and organizing help efforts to the planets in need of assistance. They were also very highly adept at covert operations; able to defuse any high-risk situation- including the more dangerous ones that involved fighting or weapons.

A young man sat in front of her, perched on the edge of his seat as he focused intently on the transparent screens in front of him. Jane approached him, monitoring his screen as well.

"Hello Jefferson." Jane said warmly as she stepped to his side. She knew every name of her crewmembers, something she was very proud of as it was an incredible feat. Several hundred workers manned the gargantuan ship, each of them with their own small role and job to play, and she knew every duty and every member of her ship. It was something that her crewmembers adored her for, adding to their respect for her.

"Captain." Jefferson replied, nodding up to her, obviously pleased that she had taken the time to approach him and talk to him. Because Jane had so many workers it was impossible for her to spend personal time with each and every one of them on a daily basis, though she always spent an adequate amount of time throughout her day to approach her crew members at random and chat.

"Has the leak in engine 2467 been fixed?" Jane asked, referring to the charts he was monitoring.

Jane watched as his expression showed his confusion and amazement at her ability to register and comprehend all of the many codes that streamed quickly across the screen, something that required years of training to decipher all of the codes. It was a job that required specific training, the likes of which that a captain of the ship did not have to learn. Jane had picked up on it anyways, wanting to comprehend everything that took place on her ship. She had centuries of experience under her belt, learning another code was something simple for her as she had all the time in the world to master it.

She was frustrated that there had to be secret codes used in order to keep the ship running, but she knew it was for a good reason. Pirates weren't unheard of in this day and age, and something they liked to do in order to capture a ship was to hack into the engine feed and blow the engines before breaching the ship and taking over so that the ship would be unable to escape their attack. Jane had had a few run ins with pirates over the years, though several of them were deterred to attack her extremely large ship. The codes had been enforced as a protocol by the intergalactic Star Fleet; they wouldn't let her run her ship unless she adopted the specific codes as well.

Jefferson was very talented for his work as he was trained in the Star Fleet specifically for this work of monitoring the engines. It was a difficult task of understanding the codes in order to keep the engines running. The engines powered everything from the movement of the ship to flushing the toilets, and Jefferson had done an excellent job of keeping things intact ever since he arrived a few months earlier.

"No, but I'm sending a few Grogs down to the engine room to make the adjustments." Jefferson responded, his fingers flying across a seemingly invisible keyboard which was another transparent screen across his lap.

Jane nodded, knowing that it was a wise decision. The Grog race was a very durable species; large and lumbering, their skin made of hard, shell-like material like one of those cockroaches back on earth, they would be fully capable of enduring any type of radiation that might have escaped during the leak. She patted Jefferson on his back. "Good. Let me know when that leak is fixed," she said warmly.

"Yes Captain." He responded, absolutely beaming by her praise.

Jane stepped past him and headed down the row, nodding her head at the fellow crewmembers. She stepped up to a Lestradeck, an intelligent creature with wide bug-like eyes that extended over a majority of its white, bald head. Its three fingers in either hand were flashing and tapping against the transparent screen as it kept track of the numbers and reports being fed to it of the necessities the ship ran on; the food, supplies, etc. Lestradecks were very excellent at keeping track of numbers and were a perfect candidate for the job.

"Ezekiel." Jane acknowledged as she stepped to the Lestradeck's side. It was a nickname dubbed to him, as his real name was much too difficult for others to pronounce. Every crew member with a difficult name, specifically those from the planets in the outer rim, had an English nickname chosen. As everyone was required to speak English it was fitting to have Earthly names. She then said his real name, a series of clicks and hums to which he responded in kind. She then conversed with him for a few moments, asking him about how the numbers were going along and then his home planet and family he was supporting. Ezekiel was pleased to be conversing with her in his native tongue and happily talked about his home planet and family that waited for him. Jane had visited his planet before and had developed the language; she was capable of learning an innumerable amount of languages in a surprisingly short amount of time.

Jane spent the rest of her morning walking among her crew members and engaging in conversations, passing from the bridge and into other areas as well. The ship was enormous and had several floors and rooms, and she inspected most of them and the crew within. She certainly was a favorite among her crew members; knowing their names and speaking all of their native languages, not playing any favorites among them and recognizing them for their hard work. They all loved her and were willing to lay down their lives for her, which was something that she did not take lightly.

Eventually she made her way back up to the control room and stepped up onto the bridge. Triss was still on the bridge, in her own little corner off to the side. Next to the entranceway towards the lift that led to Jane's private room was a small little enclave with a desk and chair. Triss' green head could be seen poking up from behind the chair as she leaned over her e-book that rested against her desk. Her job was to assist in running the ship, where Jane preferred to manually approach her crewmembers to check on progress Triss chose to send messages from her small e-book. They both oversee the goings on of the ship and run it, and should anything happen to Jane, Triss would step up to take her place as captain.

Jane stepped to Triss' side, the Treshiss offering her a brief glance in acknowledgement of her arrival then quickly returning her gaze to the information on her e-book.

"Anything new?" Jane asked, resting a hand on her friend's shoulder as she peered down at the small screen.

A small black, forked tongue flitted out between Triss' green lips and returned quickly into her mouth as she examined her screen, "two Grogs have solved a leak in engine 2467, according to the engine master." She stated. She didn't take the time to get to know the individual names, but Jane recognized the engine master as being Jefferson.

"Good." Jane replied, squeezing her shoulder affectionately before turning. Triss didn't waste time with small talk and that was about all of the information Jane would be able to pull from her, so she decided that it was time to get to work. Triss stood, her shift time over. Now that Jane was on the bridge Triss was free to leave to her own quarters, and would return when Jane's shift ended and she took over once more.

Jane stepped into the center of the circular area above the rest of the control room. The room extended out in front of her, a large plate of glass extended for several hundred feet at the end of the large room, a window that separated their spaceship from the dark space beyond. She watched as they navigated forwards, the stars shining brightly in the distance. The large room, about the size of a hangar or a large bay, was naturally dark in order to let in as much light from the wide window as possible. She was very proud of the design of her spaceship, and had actually put in several of the design plans herself. No other spaceship had the capabilities of supporting such a large window, but Jane had designed a way to support the curved, thick glass that spread along the far wall.

The color coding was very specific. The large control room below her where the rows of crew members worked was dark; the floors and walls black with dark blue accents, creating a dim lighting for them to work in as their transparent screens shined in front of their faces. The bridge that Jane stood on was bright white, contrasting against the dark expanse in front of her. The entire area behind her as well was white; the walls, entrance to the lift, and Triss' space brilliantly bright. Her crew continued to work diligently, though she could hear them chatter amongst themselves and it was all a rather pleasant atmosphere.

Jane extended her hand infront of her, motioning for her own transparent screen to appear. Instead of just one screen as her crewmembers were faced with, several screens extended in front of her in a semi-circle, all of them within her view. She could still see beyond her transparent screens and keep an eye on the large window to see where they are going, and could see all of the crewmembers in the control room beneath her. She began to work.

She quickly pressed and tapped into the air as she moved through the many pages of information fed to her across the several different screens. She quickly processed everything she saw, her first priority to determine the course of her ship and her immediate responsibilities. She had recently completed a job and was heading into the next area, and her task for the day was to find another job for her ship and crew. Her range of responsibilities were very wide; normally she would act as a form of police force, monitoring the star fleets and keeping other space ships on track. She swept through her many alliances for any peacekeeping jobs or even covert ones for her specially adept crew, but couldn't find anything that stuck out to her. They were currently in a lapse of responsibilities, and her ship was merely traveling into the next area.

She sent messages and read through the ones she had received, finding places where she could offer her advice. She typed her messages quickly and sent them to the different areas, counseling and advising those that she could. Not finding any immediate concerns that she could help in, she began to delve into the news reports and government happenings in the nearby planets. To anyone watching her actions, as she was in a position for every eye to be on her from any location in the room, they would just assume that she was finding another job for them. Little did they know that the responsibilities she took upon herself were not just the ones that she had been assigned- working for the intergalactic Star Fleet. To them, she was just guiding the ship and looking for new jobs. In reality she was sticking her fingers into every nook and cranny and helping those that she could, keeping her identity secret, as she had been doing for centuries.

An interesting case caught her eye as one of the screens scrolled through the top headlines of a nearby planet. "Man snaps and kills entire family and several co workers before being killed by local police." She tapped on the headline and swiftly read through the article, apparently Arthur Dent, and average 40 year old human with a secure job at the mail office and a small family suddenly went rogue one morning and killed his wife and three small children, then calmly went to his job and began killing all of his co workers. It was dumbfounding, there was no cause of depression in the man and he had no reason to snap. She closed down the article and turned back to the rest of her work, until another case caught her eye.

This case was very similar to the one on Arthur Dent, it was of an elderly school teacher named Natasha Romanov who had killed all of the young students in her classroom. It was tragic, apparently she had been suffering from depression for years and had lived at home alone with six cats, though the reasoning behind her mass killings were still unknown.

She continued to search, dread filling her stomach as she found case after case of mass murderings, mainly from seemingly normal people. And it wasn't just from humans, humanoids and other forms of alien life were also suddenly killing each other. There was no logical explanation for the phenomena, and it left Jane feeling sick and perturbed.

After spending some time sifting through the increasing number of attacks, suddenly the reports stopped. The documents and reports of the killings began disappearing, they were no longer showing up on the news articles and all records of them seemed to have evaporated. Curious, Jane digged further, hacking into the top secret documents and police records. Finally she found the records, dozens of reports of the mass murdering filling her screens. So the governments had stepped in and shut the public out of the knowledge of the murders, Jane mused, wondering what was going on as more and more cases began to fill onto her screen as she poured through the police and hospital records.

Jane stepped into the shower, the glass doors automatically closing and locking behind her. She pushed a few buttons on the tiles in front of her and closed her eyes as the warm water fell onto her body from the ceiling. The amount of cases she had found on the killings was monumental, popping up all over the universe among several planets. She ran her fingers through her hair and sighed as her body relaxed, forcing the reports and negative thoughts from her mind. It had been a long day and she had been extremely busy, taking breaks from her work on the bridge to walk around the ship and converse with her crewmembers and grabbing a few bites to eat. Not that she needed to eat, but her lack of sustenance would be noted on the monitors so she had to keep her facade of being a normal human, and not immortal.

After standing for a few moments letting the water run over her body Jane opened her eyes once more. The glass doors to the shower were lined with messages that popped up on the screen, messages from Triss, the time (21:34), and the meal plan for the next day. She tapped on the glass at a small box that lit up, and suddenly the messages disappeared. She then tapped on another box on the glass and suddenly a list of shampoos and scents lit up against the glass. She scrolled down, "apple, bubblegum, citrus, coconut... lavender, lemon... rainforest flowers..." She clicked on lemon. She hadn't tried that one before. She held out her hand to a small dispenser as a gooey liquid was poured into her hand, smelling strongly of lemon. She rubbed it into her long hair, slowly massaging her head with one hand as she tapped on the glass again with her other hand. Eventually a list of music options popped up on the screen, so she scrolled down and chose a song under "opera", an old italian song dating back into the 1600s on earth. She recognized the piece, and a brief memory of attending the concert flitted into her mind as the music filled the quietness of the room. The melody came rushing back to her mind and Jane finally began to relax as she sang along, her voice ringing clearly throughout the room. She continued to sing along to the old opera piece as she rinsed the lather out of her hair and scrubbed herself clean.

Once done with her shower she clicked another small box on the glass and the water shut off, lettering appearing on the glass as she continued to sing along with the music. "Would you like to manually dry off or have an automatic air dry?" She clicked on manual and through the glass she could see a small portion in the wall to her right slide back and a large towel fall into the room, being held in the air by an unseen force shield as the wall slid back into place. Jane waved her hand from left to right as the glass door slid away, sending her melody ro reverberate throughout the small room. Jane stepped out of the shower and onto the lush mat, water dripping from her body as she grabbed the floating towell as the song reached its climax, the melody becoming more complex and of wider range and Jane perfectly sang in tune.

The clothes that she had deposited on the floor of the bathroom had disappeared to be cleaned, though the silk robe now floated in the air by the door. It was dark blue, the same as her uniform, and incredibly soft and smooth as she pulled it out of the air. She dropped her towel on the ground, knowing that it would disappear to be cleaned as she held her robe against her nose. It smelled clean and fresh, still warm from the cleaners. Jane slipped it on as the song began to fade as she held the last note. When the song ended she snapped her fingers as the music stopped, then waved her hand towards the dark colored wood of the door and watched it as it slid open. She ran her fingers through her hair to straighten it as she walked to the center of her room.

Her room was bare in the center, all of her objects pushed to the side. Her bed, never being used, was against the far corner. The she curled her toes against the thick carpet as she stood in the center of her bedroom. No other place on the ship had carpet, she had it specially put into place as she loved the feel and it made her room seem more homey. She gazed around herself at the shelves that lined the walls, all of them made of expensive wood with ornately covered handles, littered with books and trinkets that she had picked up. Her objects spanned centuries and planets, each object of infinite worth to her, though others might think of the random assortment of pens, dolls, trinkets, instruments, currency, paintings, toys and other odds and ends to be useless and of no value. Paintings and photographs lined her walls, each with its own memory. Some of the paintings were her own, though she would never tell anyone, especially since some of them were from a few centuries ago. She took a moment to examine all of the memorabilia surrounding her, reminiscing in the past.

Jane held her hand out in the air and once again waved the transparent screens towards her once more. She can't sleep, so she might as well be productive. Her crew were all still working, as they all worked shifts and slept at different periods of time, but it would seem odd if she were to never rest. So she resigned herself to locking herself up in her room for a few hours at a time when everyone assumed that she was sleeping. She was in her own section of the spaceship, and no one other than Triss were allowed past the bridge unless given direct assent, so she knew that she wouldn't be bothered. The glass doors leading into the hallway were darkened, giving Jane her complete privacy. Jane loved the quiet and homeliness of her room, it was always so calm and peaceful and full of memories.

The screens shone brightly in the dimly lit room, though the light from the ceiling was warm and cast a golden hue around the place, specifically set by Jane to be relaxing. She waved her hand around one of the screens, picking out some quiet music as a backdrop, not planning on singing anymore that night, and then she began to work, skimming through countless information to see where she was needed and offering advice where she could.

She turned her attention towards searching for the mass killings, but all traces of them had been wiped away from the main data frame she accessed. She couldn't even bypass security to pull up the names and files. She frowned in confusion as she continued to dig into the data frame, finding no trace of any random acts of mass killings from seemingly innocent people.

After passing the time in relative silence, the soft melodic sounds of the music filling in the ambience, the sound of heels clicking down the long passageway outside of her room caused Jane to pause what she was doing. She snapped her fingers and the music suddenly stopped as she craned her head to listen to the frantic steps heading her way.

The glass doors to her room slid open with a whoosh as Triss appeared in the doorway, her lizard like eyes opened wide as she bowed as an apology for the intrusion. Jane quickly waved her screens away and beckoned her assistant to enter. Triss briskly stepped forwards, hardly glancing around the room. She had seen the room a couple of times but had never spent a considerable amount of time in it, but she didn't glance around her in awe or even acknowledge the carpeted floor as she stepped forwards with a purpose.

"The Admiral is requesting a conference call." Triss stated urgently, holding a small black object towards Jane in her outstretched hand.

"The Admiral?" Jane asked, in awe. The Admiral was in charge of several of the delegations between planets and was the head of many large corporations, organizations, and spaceship fleets. He was basically the head of government for interplanetary relations and his reach was far and wide, and he was a very well respected man. Jane couldn't believe it, she had only communicated personally with the Admiral a few times, though she had sent him several helpful messages as Metis. Her thoughts immediately turned to the reports she had seen that morning, and wondered if the Admiral knew of the strange goings on and the large cover up that had completely deleted all traces of the killings.

"Yes." Triss hissed back as Jane grabbed the small object from her scaly hand. "He is on hold and expects to speak with you immediately."

Determined to not keep him waiting, Jane strode to the wall in front of her and stuck the black device to the wall, it was a camera that would transmit to the Admiral himself. Triss began pressing buttons on her screen and with a flick of her wrist a large transparent screen appeared in front of the two of them, the Admiral's face broadcasted across it. Steely grey eyes stared down at Jane, his nose was long and curved like a beak over his thin lips. His dark black hair was trimmed very short and was receding from his head and his face was shaved clean. A high collar hugged his neck as his upper chest was barely visible, the heavy silver colored material of his shirt revealing his rank, the buttons completely buttoned beneath his adams apple. Several medals and other insignias adorned his chest that was puffed out slightly as he stood straight, the black background accentuating all of his insignias.

Jane snapped to attention, her heels together as she stood absolutely straight with a stiff salute. Suddenly she became self conscious of her appearance, knowing that she was only wearing her silk robe and her wet hair was unkempt.

"Captain." The admiral acknowledged, his voice nasally yet deep as he peered down his long nose at her.

"Admiral." Jane said in response, swiftly lowering her salute and putting her arms straight at her sides. She watched as his eyes flicked to Triss' location, so she motioned with her head towards her second in command to leave the room. Triss bowed slightly and holding her e-book tightly she left the room, the glass doors sliding shut behind her.

"At ease Captain." The Admiral spoke again.

Jane nodded her thanks and relaxed her shoulders and took a more comfortable stance. "I'm sorry about my appearance, I would have made myself more presentable had I known you were going to call." Jane apologized as she pulled her silk robe tighter around herself.

"It's no matter," he dismissed with a wave, "I didn't wake you, did I?" His expression showed his concern for waking her with his lips pulled into a frown, but Jane could tell by his steely eyes that he didn't care one bit if he had woken her from her sleep.

"Oh, no sir. I was awake." Jane confirmed, though she knew full well that it didn't matter what she said as an answer.

"Good." He stated, though his lips were still pulled into a frown. "I assume that our conversation will be in complete privacy, am I correct?"

"Yes sir, we are in my private bedroom and there are no recording devices in here besides this camera." Jane replied, pointing at the camera that was attached to the wall in front of her.

The Admiral paused and stared at her closely as he carefully chose his next words. "I am in need of your assistance on a rather secretive matter." He stopped, waiting for her reaction.

Jane steeled herself, nodding her head that she would be able to offer that secrecy.

"It regards information that cannot be revealed to the populous, the results of which would be devastating."

Jane realized that whatever he was going to tell her completely corresponded with the planet-wide cover up there had been of the spontaneous killings. She considered telling him that she was aware of the murders, but decided against it. A captain such as her, merely waiting for another order, should not be aware of the goings on of the planets around her. If he knew that she was adept at catching the information that people should not see, bypassing all encryptions and sneaking into the top secret sites, he might lose all trust in her.

The Admiral continued, "In fact, due to the nature of the conversation, I cannot tell you over this conference call."

Jane raised her eyebrow. She had told him that their conversation was private, she certainly was not recording it and there was no interference from her end. Her crew had been involved in several covert actions that were never recorded or reported to the public and they would certainly be able to keep their mouths shut. She then realized with a start that he might not be referring to her being incapable of keeping a secret or tracking a call, but instead that his end of the call was corrupted. He might be the one being monitored.

"If you agree to take on this delicate case I will send a partner to assist you and who will inform you on the nature of this task." He paused once more.

"What type of task will this be?" Jane asked, wanting to know if by taking on this case the safety of her crew would be jeopardized.

"It might prove to be dangerous, requiring highly skilled task force members and a devotion to secrecy. I can't say much more on the subject, but know that millions of lives are at stake. I know of no other person who would be able to manage this case as efficiently than if it were left in your highly capable hands." His voice was serious and each word was promptly accentuated to prove his point.

Jane was flattered by his high praise and was slightly shocked that he deemed her capable of doing whatever he needed to be done. She knew that her crew was highly adept at keeping secrets and were efficient during high risk scenarios. If anyone was suitable to the task at hand, she knew that she and her crew were the best option, especially since she already had a basic idea of what she was up against. Mass killings were going on in several planets, a fact that the public did not need to know.

Jane nodded, her decision resolute. "Myself and my crew will be able to handle it to the best of our abilities."

Relief washed over the Admiral's face, though she could see that he was still extremely tense by his posture and his steely eyes.

"Your partner for this task will arrive on your ship at 0800 tomorrow, he will inform you of your task and together you will be able to eradicate this problem." He paused once more, doubt flitting onto his features. "He is very intelligent and highly trained for this task, but he may prove to be... difficult."

"In what way?" Jane asked, wondering what made her new 'partner' difficult. Was he difficult to be around, an attention hog and whatnot? Was he from a highly confrontational planet? Could he explode instantly like the race of blastoides from one of the far reaching planets?

"He is arrogant and is socially inept, he likes to work alone and will not appreciate the fact of working along someone else," he sighed as his thoughts turned to the man he would be sending to work with Jane. "Though he is the best one suited for the job, and he will provide invaluable insight," he finished.

Jane nodded once more, crossing her arms over her chest as she contemplated what she had gotten herself into. Apparently, by agreeing to doing what the Admiral asked, she was going to risk the lives of her crew members to do something dangerous, hopefully saving the lives of millions, all the while working with someone who didn't work well with others. She had a slight idea of what she was up against, her instincts telling her that it would be extremely dangerous for her. Though she was wary of what damage would happen would occur should she accept the task, she knew that she would accept it. If anyone was up to the task, it was her and her crew.

"I will meet with him tomorrow," she affirmed.

"Captain." The Admiral stated with a bow of his head, accepting her offer.

Jane jumped to attention, clicking her bare heels together and raising a salute. "Admiral."

The connection was lost as her screen went black, he had ended the call. Jane relaxed and stepped to the camera that was attached to the wall as she waved away the blank screen. She brought up a different screen and quickly messaged Triss to return. She returned to the center of the room, her mind deep in thought as she fiddled with the small camera in her fingers.

After a few minutes the doors to her room slid open with a sigh. Jane turned to face her friend, whose expectant face showed her curiosity of what the call had been about.

"Be expecting a new passenger tomorrow at 0800." Jane stated, handing the camera back to Triss, avoiding the Treshiss' long nails that were sharpened to points like claws. "Treat him with uttermost respect, he is of a high rank." Actually, Jane had no idea of what rank her new partner actually had, but since she was the captain, and he would be her partner, he would have to receive the same amount of respect as her. Perhaps the respect they showed towards him will help him from being "difficult."

Triss nodded and Jane dismissed her from the room, listening as the doors closed behind her and her shoes clicked against the floor all the way to the lift. Once completely alone again Jane brought up the transparent screens, a new task at hand. She was going to find out what the Admiral had been involved in recently and who her new partner could possibly be.


	2. 02 A Private Meeting

Damian stared at the screen in front of him and felt the temperature in his blood begin to plummet. He had been expecting a call sooner or later, knowing without a doubt that things would eventually take a turn for a worse. Now it was time to learn how bad things had become, though he dreaded answering the request for the conference call on the screen. He lifted his hand to press on the caller's name to accept the call but halted his hand mid-air when he saw that it was trembling.

He had begun to connect the name "Zane Knight" with bad news ever since he was little, and now that his name was displayed on the screen Damian knew that he would once again be the receiver of distressing news.

He remembered the first major time Zane had delivered bad news to him, it was when he was only ten years old. Zane's face had appeared on the screen, his nose much too large for his face, his chest sticking out to proudly show off his brand new red uniform. He was probably one of the youngest people to be promoted to the control room- the place on a spaceship where the brightest and most diligent crew members controlled every aspect of the ship; he being only seventeen years old.

Zane had peered down his eagle-like nose towards him, his expression grim. He stated the message in monotone and quick to the point, much too proud to be seen expressing any emotions no matter the message. "Mum is dead."

Damian hadn't believed the message at first, but as his older brother continued to explain, laying out all of the cold facts of the case, he had no choice but to accept the veracity of the harsh statement. Ever since that point he had dreaded answering calls from Zane, registering him as the ultimate bearer of devastating news.

His suspicions had always proven correct. They had both grown up to be very bright individuals, Zane rising quickly through the ranks as Damian chose to specialize in something that would not get him any titles as his brother had, and both of them were brilliant at what they did.

Zane had never called to check up on his younger brother and only reached for contact when something had gone terribly wrong. He had recognized Damian's talent for solving his problems early on, though he hated on calling on his younger brother for help because of his severe pride. When things became too difficult for him to handle Damian would always be the one he would call on.

Damian stared questioningly at his trembling hand, wondering why he was having such an adverse reaction to his brother's call. He had long grown accustomed to Zane's requests; always beginning with something drastic- a war has started, there has been a nuclear explosion- before a desperate plea for help. Though he had always expected such tragic news at every call, he had never had such a reaction as this and he hadn't even learned what the problem was this time.

Something inside of him told him that this problem was much bigger and much worse than anything he had ever faced before. He pressed the name on the screen and quickly lowered his hands onto his lap where they would not be seen as the call was answered.

His brother's face filled the screen, his steely grey eyes peering down his overly-large nose towards him. His chest was puffed out as he stood with his back ramrod straight; his natural proud stance that made the silver color of his uniform seem to shine ever brighter. Though his eyes shone fiercely Damian could see the gauntness in his expression; his lips forming a thin line, his eyes sunk in, the lines across his forehead a permanent crease. He must be in a very desperate position in order to look so stressed, Damian mused.

Damian rested his head back against the seat as the shuttle he was in blasted away from the main ship towards his new destination. He slowly let out a deep breath, trying to relax his tense muscles and stop the slight tremor that still remained in his hands though it had been a few hours since he had received the conference call.

His suspicions had been correct; his body somehow anticipating the drastic news. He had been hailed with the worst possible situation his brother had ever asked him to fix, the problem so severe that he was unsure if he was even capable of fixing it.

He was on his way to a privately run spaceship- his shuttle wouldn't be able to take him all the way where he needed to go, so instead he had to hitch a ride on this spaceship. His brother had assured him that he would be placed in good hands and that the captain would be able to be filled in on all of the details. He wasn't sure of what to think of that, as a rule he generally worked alone, but in this situation he realized he was a bit out of his depth. He speculated on the type of person the captain would have to be in order to agree to take on this daunting task and whether or not they would be able to be trusted.

Damian passed through the large spacecraft with relative ease. Apparently his arrival had been announced, as the crew members mainly ignored him and let him walk where he wanted and no one had confronted him on his arrival. He continued forwards down the long hallways and was a bit astounded at the sheer _size _of the spaceship. It was huge, much bigger than any ship he had ever been on. When he had arrived he had found a large map painted on the side of the hangar wall, though it did no justice to the range of the large ship. He had studied it until he had determined how to make it to the bridge, one of the highest levels at the forefront of the ship, but now as he walked he realized it would take him a while to get there. According to the map his location was on the side of the ship in one of the lower levels.

He had no idea who the captain was. He figured that the captain was a humanoid of sorts, as most of the crew here were humanoids that he had seen. He didn't know much about the ship at all, except for the fact that it was capable of handling delicate missions covertly and with expertise, exactly the sort of thing he required for his mission. He was a bit put down by the size of the ship, it wouldn't be able to pass unnoticed as he had requested. He shuffled the duffle bag on his shoulder and pressed onwards, noticing how he stood out from his surroundings like a sore thumb.

The crew members were all different shapes and sizes and races from several different planets. But there were several things about them that were the same. All of their uniforms were the same, black pants and belt and long sleeved shirts, though the shirts varied in color according to station. The few crew members he had passed in the hangar wore bright orange shirts. There were also green, red, yellow, and assumingly several other colors as well. Another thing that was similar among all of the crew members were that they all walked with a purpose, and from the doors he peered into he could see that all of them were working diligently. How could every person he see be working so hard? That type of devotion to their work was impossible to achieve anywhere else. He saw nobody meandering around or looking as if they weren't doing something important. It was everyone there were happy to do their tasks.

He passed through the corridors mainly ignored. He would receive glances of course, but their gazes would quickly drop and they would continue working. Odd. He made it to the lift at the end of the hallway, knowing that the main control room was just above him. He waved his hand over the sensors and stepped onto the elevator as the doors swished open. He looked down at the buttons and the many levels, and noticed that the top floor's number didn't correlate with the highest floor on the map he had studied. He clicked the top button, knowing that it lead to the control room, but the map had said that there was a higher floor. He wondered why the lift didn't go to the highest floor as the doors swished shut and the elevator began to rise.

The lift stopped rising as he reached the top door and the doors swished open. Damian stepped into the control room, his eyes flashing wildly all around him. The room was dim, and directly in front of him stood or sat rows of people, staring at transparent screens as their hands waved wildly in the air or typed at invisible keyboards in their laps. The long room extended far to his right, and he stared in amazement at the large window separating the ship from the outside that spanned against the entire front of the room. There had never been a spaceship to have such a large or thick glass partition before, he would like to see how they managed to keep the material in place without it cracking or breaking apart. The view was stunning as the many stars expanded out into the infinities, distant planets twirling into view.

He peeled his eyes away from the amazing view to better examine the rest of the control room. To his left was an upper level, its white color starkly different from the rest of the room. A large circular platform extended from the open area, a small staircase leading up onto the bridge. Beyond the circular platform was a white wall, a lone doorway standing in the center. He contemplated what the doorway could lead to, and realized that the upper level that had been missing on the lift he had taken must be beyond that doorway and up another lift. He presumed that it must lead to the captain's quarters, as he knew that there was a rule on most spacecrafts that only the captains could be on the bridge, so only the captain would be allowed passage through that doorway. To the right of the doorway and nestled in the corner was a small desk and high backed chair, similar to the chairs the crew was sitting on in the lower area of the control room. A woman sat at the desk, he could tell immediately that she was a Treshiss because of her green scales. He wondered if she were the captain, but his instincts told him that she was not the head person in charge. The woman on the bridge was wearing a different uniform, unlike any of the uniforms he had seen on his journey to the console room with her red skirt and short-sleeved dress. Certainly she must be the captain, he reasoned, because of her change of dress, but again he felt that she wasn't.

He turned his attention to the crew members in front of him, who completely ignored him and instead focused diligently on their work, each one of them wearing the custom uniforms with matching red shirts. There was a constant stream of chatter as they conversed with each other, and their postures showed that they were all relaxed. Something strange was definitely going on, something that he couldn't place. How could all of these different races work side by side, without any struggles? He had seen enough racism and prejudices amongst the different aliens, and in here they were all working harmoniously. Not only that, but several of them were actually smiling. _Smiling._ No one he had ever worked with had smiled, though he assumed it was because no one could tolerate him long enough to work with him and be happy about it. Still, working for several hours in a day in a dimly lit room shouldn't illicit any smiles. It was all too strange.

Realizing that no one was going to approach him and ask him what he was doing there, Damian walked over to the wall and dropped his dufflebag by his feet. He had been told to expect the Captain to meet him when he arrived, so he decided to wait for the Captain to enter the room as he examined his surroundings.

The crew members would glance at him but for the most part he blended into the wall as they went about their work. They waved their hands or tentacles in the air as several of them spoke into headsets or merely chatted with each other. He looked up at the bridge and noticed the Treshiss look up from her desk and glance at his direction before turning back to a small tablet on her desk. Strange, he hadn't seen an e-book in years. Based on all of the up-to-date technology surrounding him, he figured that the reason the woman on the bridge was using the outdated technology was because of personal preference and not lack of funds.

He wondered why everyone in here was so _happy._ They weren't bubbling for joy or anything like that, but he could tell that each one of them enjoyed their jobs. He wondered what type of ship this captain was running was. Would the crew be able to keep their mouths shut? Will the captain be able to work with him and follow his orders? Were they trained enough to embark on some missions that would require stealth and advanced fighting techniques? Not that any would be required, but just in case.

After spending a few minutes in his own thoughts as he examined his surroundings a loud bell rang throughout the room and suddenly the entire atmosphere changed. The talking and other noises completely stopped as all of the crew members sat up straighter in their chairs and focused more intently on their work. Damian raised his eyebrow in response. Even the Treshiss on the bridge stood up from her desk and walked to the doorway in the center of the bridge, waving her hand and typing in a few numbers into an invisible keyboard near the door. The heavily reinforced door slid open, it would take a lot to blast through or break into that room. Damian strained his head to see through the doorway and could only make out a long hallway that the Treshiss passed into, the doors sliding shut behind her.

Damian wondered what that was about. The crew members continued to sit upright as their movements became more precise, their talking quieted as they spoke into their headphones, no longer turning to each other for conversation. Were they being monitored now? That would explain their change in behavior. He heard the swish of the doors again and turned to look at the bridge.

He was completely taken aback as the captain stepped into the room. A tall woman stepped into the room, her tight uniform fitting nicely to her well formed body, her shirt a navy blue. Even without the insignia on her chest or the color or her shirt Damian knew without a doubt that she was the Captain, her entire demeanor and appearance shouted confidence and control. As she stepped into the room, her boots (noticeably taller than the uniform boots of the rest of the crew members) clicking against the hard floors, the entire work station snapped to attention. The dozens of people in the long rows in the room had swiveled in their seats and jumped to their feet, unless they were already standing, to raise their hands in a salute towards the captain, each face showing utter respect towards their leader. Damian was dumbfounded. He had never seen such an act before in his life, normally when the captain enters a room the crew members might acknowledge the entrance but wouldn't jump to attention like he just witnessed. He then realized what the bell had been for, it was a warning for them that the captain was coming.

"At ease." Her clear voice rang throughout the room as the crew sat back in their seats or turned to return to their work, somehow even more focused and precise than before. It was astounding. He wondered what would make the crew members so willing to work so hard while in front of their captain, where before there had been a dull roar of chatter everyone now seemed intent on solely their work. Were they afraid? He examined their faces. No, he decided. Such demeanor had to come from respect and not fear, if they were terrified of their leader they wouldn't have showed such happiness before. In fact, even now, he could tell that there was a certain gaiety to their work, as if everyone there wanted to prove their worth and show their diligence. It was so... odd. Disconcerting. No one should look so happy while focusing so intently on their work. He marvelled at the atmosphere this captain had created.

He looked back up to the bridge and caught himself staring at the very attractive captain. She was standing directly in the center of the circular area of the bridge, her hands behind her back and her feet shoulder width apart as she watched her crew members with bright eyes. She seemed to take in every small detail as she scanned the room until finally her eyes rested on him near the doorway. Damian became ensnared by her gaze and was unable to break the eye contact as she stared at him with piercingly bright blue eyes that matched the color of her shirt.

Finally she broke the intense stare and turned to walk to the small staircase on the side of the bridge. As she stepped down the stairs her blonde hair bounced against her back, and Damian realized that she was heading straight for him. He stood a bit straighter and quickly ran his fingers through his dark curly hair, realizing too late that his hair was a complete mess. His hair took time to wrangle into an appropriate appearance, but normally he didn't care if he looked like a complete mad man with messy hair and strange clothes, but suddenly he became extremely conscious of his appearance. She was attractive, _stunningly_ beautiful, and Damian became very shy and insecure as she approached. A woman like her shouldn't be a captain, instead she should be a supermodel, winning pageants, she could easily win Miss Universe he mused. Again he wished that he had at least brushed his hair during his long trip over.

He quickly glanced away from her as she approached, shocked by his thoughts. He had never really admired a woman before, sure he could tell when they were attractive, but he had never wanted to _seem_ attractive to them in return, and here he was worrying about his appearance. Who cares what she thought of what he looked like? He thought to himself, setting his jaw. He still didn't want a partner and would probably never look at her as such. He was in charge of himself and he doesn't play nice with others.

She drew closer to him and extended her hand, and Damian had no choice but to look back at her, getting drawn once again into her intense gaze. Her eyes were so beautiful, her irises forming deep pools that seemed to stretch onto the infinities; he wanted more than anything to just spend the rest of the day staring into her eyes. Quickly he wrenched his gaze away from hers, embarrassed by his thoughts, and looked at any other part of her; her confident stance and outstretched hand, her lips pulled into a smile to reveal perfectly straight and blindingly white teeth. Finally he extended his hand to engulf her small hand and slender fingers, her grip was firm and revealed her powerful strength.

"I'm the captain of this ship," she announced, "It's a pleasure to meet you." Her voice was clear and bright, and it sounded as though she actually were pleased to meet him. That would certainly be a first; no one was ever pleased to meet him. She must not have been warned about his reputation.

"Likewise, Captain," Damian responded, dropping her hand. He glanced away from her, not wanting to be entranced again. He noticed several crew members glance away from them as he caught their stares. He wondered if they knew why he was there, though he highly doubted it as they had still let him on the ship.

"Shall we find someplace private?" The captain asked.

Damian glanced at her, shocked by her abruptness as he considered the possibilities of her meaning, most of his thoughts not very appropriate.

"I'm certain you have a lot of things to tell me." The captain clarified, though her smile widened. Damians felt his cheeks inflame as he realized that the captain had probably recognized his thought process.

"Of course." Damian said with a curt nod. In return the captain turned on her heel and headed towards the lift he had used to enter the control room.

After waving her hand over the sensor and stepping into the center of the elevator Damian followed her, picking up his duffel bag and tossing it over his shoulder. She eyed the duffle bag and then pressed a button on the wall, leading to the floor just below them.

"I could show you your room first so that you could become situated," she offered.

Damian shifted the weight of his bag as the lift began to lower. "No, I'll be fine. Lets have our meeting first."

The captain nodded in response as the lift doors opened. She swiftly stepped out, leaving Damian to follow. He couldn't help but to admire the way her hips swayed as she briskly walked down the long hallway, but not wanting to stare he quickly turned his gaze away to examine his surroundings. The hallway was long and narrow, closed doors on either side spanned down the length of the walls. The captain stopped suddenly in front of a door to the right and waved her hand over the sensor and then punched in a code, which Damian couldn't see. The door slid open and she stepped through.

Damian followed her close behind and examined the large room in front of him. A long table extended down the room, dozens of chairs surrounding the table. It was a meeting place, he realized, though it was rather large and extravagant for their small, two person meeting. The walls were bare and the entire area was very proper and refined with the high arching ceiling and dimmed lights. Instead of walking to the table to take a seat the captain turned to the right and led him to another doorway, which she opened with another wave of her hand and a quick code. She passed inside.

Damian peered around the doorway and to his surprise found a rather pleasant looking room. It was small and had two plush looking chairs in the center of the room facing each other. On the walls were paintings and a small bar sat in the corner, glistening wine glasses hanging from the ceiling by some unseen force. He stepped inside as he watched the captain make her way to the bar. The door slid shut behind him, a loud click resounding through the room as the doors shut. _They were locked in_ he realized with a start as he glanced back at the doorway.

"No one will be able to enter this room from the outside, though you can leave at anytime you wish," the captain said, seemingly reading his mind. Damian turned to look at her as she merrily plucked two wine glasses from the air. "There are no 'bugs' or recording devices either, and the walls and door are soundproof." She picked up a metal tray from the counter and placed the two wine glasses on top of it, then withdrew a wine bottle from beneath the counter. She popped off the cork with a twist of her wrist and began pouring the sparkling liquid into the two glasses, setting the bottle on the tray as well. When she picked up the tray she glanced at Damian, who was still standing in the doorway.

He was glad that the room was safe to have their private meeting, he knew that if what he said leaked there would be a large price to pay. He dropped his bag to the floor and chose the chair that pointed towards the bar, plopping himself down he watched her make way towards him.

She stepped in front of her chair and held out the tray so it would be between them but off to the side, within easy reaching distance for the two of them but not obstructing their sight of each other. She pressed a button on the bottom of the tray and let go of it as it remained hovering in the air. Satisfied with its position she sat as well, her back straight and her hands on her lap.

Damian wondered how he was going to start their meeting, he would have to choose his words carefully. He stared at the floating tray of wine and wondered if she was trying to get him drunk.

"It's non alcoholic." She explained, plucking a glass of wine from the tray, dissuading his doubts, again reading his mind. She held the wine to her nose and breathed in, "It's one of my favorites." She held the glass to her lips and the clear liquid slipped into her mouth, he watched her slender neck as she swallowed.

So the wine wasn't poisoned, he justified, his thoughts dark. He reached his hand forwards and grabbed his own slender glass, and following her actions he also held the liquid to his nose. The clear smell of grapes finely sweetened wafted into his nose, as well as a faint scent of... lemon. Lemon? Interesting, he thought as he brought the glass to his lips. The wine was fine indeed, it was a sparkling type of grape juice, he could sense no alcohol. He also couldn't sense any lemon, which was strange, as he could definitely smell it in the room.

He returned his glass to the floating tray as he examined the captain. She demurely leaned back in her seat, holding her glass in her fingers as she returned his gaze. Damian steepled his hands together and brought them up beneath his chin as he pondered who exactly the captain was. She was very confident in herself, he could tell by her position and her calmness. She was curious as to why he was there and what she was going to be up against, which was made obvious as she waited for him to speak first, content to wait. She took good care of herself, her body was finely toned and he could see her strong muscles under her tight uniform. The amount of respect her crew gave to her was outstanding, and completely strange. What had she done to receive such level of respect? They didn't respect her merely due to her station, it was from something deeper than that. Could he trust her?

The things he was going to tell her were mind numbing, and he knew that they would be difficult to comprehend for any logical thinking person. Even if she accepts the information he told her, her task would be daunting and dangerous. He wondered how she would react. If she disagreed with him, stubbornly refusing his facts and deciding not to risk the lives of her crew, would she kick him out? Kill him? There was a lot at stake, but he knew that the Admiral and trusted this woman to help him in the task. There wasn't another option for him to turn to.

He took in a breath of air, deciding to begin with a question to determine if she were capable to help him.

"What are your thoughts on time travel?" Damian finally asked.


	3. 03 A Daunting Mission

Jane smiled broadly at the question as she peered at the man in front of her. He hadn't told her his name yet and she still had no idea who he was. After being messaged by Triss that the mysterious stranger had arrived she had rushed to the bridge, excited to meet her enigmatic partner. She hadn't found anything throughout the night that would explain why the Admiral needed her or who her new partner would be, so she was insanely curious to finally meet her new partner. She had searched through many of the Admirals records, focusing mainly on the ones that had been encrypted or deleted, but to her amazement there were several thousands of such documents and reports that were secreted away. She had scoured through them, most of them relating to illegal smugglings or counterfeiting, but hadn't found anything that traced back to herself that she would be called to deal with. She was surprised at the dark secrets the Admiral possessed but she figured that everyone had their secrets. Neither could she find out anything on the elusive partner she would have to face, though she didn't have anything to go on as a search.

When Jane had stood on the bridge and finally caught sight of her partner, she was taken aback. He looked to be in his late thirties, with messy black curls framing his head. His clothing was extremely strange, wearing civilian type of clothing that looked antique. His purple shirt was clinging to his muscled torso, the top two buttons left open, revealing his firm hairless chest. His skin was very pale, accentuating the dark curls of his hair. When Jane had approached him she had realized that he was incredibly handsome, with high cheekbones and a narrow jaw, but what had caught her attention the most were his eyes. They were large and _beautiful,_ as she stared into his eyes as she clenched his long slender fingers in her hand she had been entrapped in the green/blue pools of his irises, golden flecks swimming among the bright colors.

After leading him into their meeting room Jane had become insanely curious as to who he was and what he was doing there. What was he an expert of? He was very tall and thin, though very fit with firm muscles. He obviously didn't see the sun very much with his pale skin, so perhaps he was a scientist of some sort. His strange clothing showed that he wasn't too impressed with fitting in, so his job wasn't one that dealt with a lot of people. She couldn't piece anything together and still had no idea who he might be.

When he finally asked his question, the pieces fell into place. He might not have travelled through time, but he was obviously curious about the past with his antique clothing. He must be a scientist of some sort, though his subject was on time itself. She wondered if time travel had been made possible in this galaxy, and immediately her thoughts turned to the Doctor.

The Doctor was from another galaxy entirely, fitting into a small universe of his own. She hadn't seen him for billions of years, after his universe faded he had faded with it, when Jane had instead moved on to the next one. The Doctor had believed that there was a beginning and an end to the universe, but he had no idea that the universes were infinite and spread on forever, Jane following along with the flow of time as each universe came to an end, another one rising in its place..

She wondered if time travel would be possible in this universe. She hadn't heard of it working here, though she knew that it was completely possible at least in the Doctor's universe. Had this one also unlocked the secret of time travel, and if so, who possessed that secret? She supposed that she would soon find out as the man on the seat across from her anxiously awaited her answer.

"You'd be surprised at how open I am to the idea." Jane replied with a smile. She personally had never been able to travel through time, but from her friendship with the Doctor she knew that the concept was entirely possible.

The man continued to hold his steepled fingers to his lips as he sat forwards on his seat intently staring at Jane. "And if you were to learn that time travel were entirely possible..." his deep baritone voice trailed off as he gauged her response.

So time travel is possible in this universe, Jane mused. "I wouldn't be surprised in the least," she responded, swirling the glass of wine she held in her long fingers.

"Good." He responded, sitting back in his chair and leaning his elbow against the armrest. "What I am going to tell you next has to be in complete confidence; the object of our discussion cannot pass from outside these doors." His voice was extremely deep and suave, lulling Jane into trusting him.

"You can trust me." Jane replied, holding her head high.

He stared intensely at her, his eyes a light shade of green and blue as he seemed to search her soul. Jane knew he was deciding on whether or not to believe her, and as he stared she enraptured by his powerful gaze. She found herself swimming in the turquoise depths, watching as flecks of gold flickered brightly in his irises, and was suddenly brought back into reality as he began to speak.

"A Time Gate has been created, where someone on this side can pass through and arrive anywhere in space and time; the past, present, or future, on any planet, any location." He paused, his blue-green eyes piercing into her own.

So time travel is available in this universe, Jane thought, not surprised in the least. Though she was a bit concerned that she hadn't heard about it until now. She wondered how he had learned of time travel, her eyes briefly broke apart from his as she glanced at the purple shirt that was buttoned tightly across his chest. She hadn't seen a fashion design like that for years, the clothes now available forming automatically to the body without buttons or zippers. She quickly brought her eyes up to lock with his once more.

Seeing that she didn't scoff or otherwise refute his declaration, the man decided to continue. "Managing the time gate was difficult at first, but eventually scientists were able to pass through the gate into any time era or place they wished.

"For several years the scientists were merely investigating the past, learning about history and bringing back their research, afraid to do anything that would alter the course of time. But mistakes were made." His lips drew into a frown as his gaze drifted to the walls.

"A man was killed on one of their trips to the past, someone who was not meant to die. The scientists returned to the present, terrified that the universe had forever been changed. They expected the 'butterfly effect' to take place, where an act as simple as stepping on a butterfly in the past completely alters the course of the future." His brow furrowed as he continued to stare at the wall, his fingers drifting to his lips as his elbow rested on the armrest to his seat.

"When they returned, they were shocked to find that _nothing had changed._ The man that they had died when he was supposed to, he had not been killed by their actions. The scientists went into a frenzy, asking how and why he had not been killed in this reality when they had personally watched him die. They knew their machine worked perfectly, and they could find no explanation behind their reasonings.

"They went back through the time gate, to a later time period. Everything had been changed. Their worst fears had been brought to a fruition; apparently one of the descendants of the killed man should have become a leading general in one of the wars, but because he was never born a war that should have been won, was lost.

He sat up in his seat, staring once again at Jane as he steepled his fingers together and brought them under his chin.

"The scientists came to a conclusion that through the Time Gate is an entirely identical universe to our own, one that they could alter that wouldn't affect this universe in any way. They could transport to any space and time in that universe and change anything they wished to watch how it played out. Of course, the creator of the Time Gate was obstinate against making any changes, unwilling to alter anything in this new universe. After he was removed and the Time Gate fell to new hands, they began to do more experiments on their new found universe: testing plagues, mixing DNA, starting wars, destroying planets. The Time Gate created the greatest laboratory imaginable for them, one where their experiments didn't hurt them in any way and they could do anything they wished in all of space and time and not face any of the consequences."

Jane had never heard of time travel working like that. She knew that that there were alternate universes, but having a time travelling device that worked on an alternate universe, now that was interesting, yet terrible. The people in the alternate universe really lived, and yet these "scientists" have been passing into the other universe and purposefully killing millions for _science._ Her stomach clenched at the thought, that all of those peoples' lives were ruined merely because the scientists themselves experienced no negative repercussions.

When he spoke again the hair on the back of Jane's neck stood up, his voice dropping several octaves. "They never expected- couldn't even imagine... The two universes are colliding," he growled.

Jane tensed, the change in his tone terrifying though she couldn't quite understand the meaning of his statement.

"They were never meant to combine. It's impossible, there have been too many changes made, so many people killed..." His eyes dropped to the floor, a deep sadness revealed in their depths.

Jane waited patiently as he stared deep in thought. She examined his shoes, noting that they were made of actual leather, an item that was extremely rare in this day and age and would prove to be nearly impossible to find. Unless, she thought, he had travelled to the past on a certain planet where the leather shoes were extremely popular and cheap, and then returning to the present time with his findings. Her thoughts were immediately brought back to attention as the man suddenly sat up and began to stare at her as if he were the teacher and she were the student.

"The two universes are connected by the Time Gate and are starting to merge together," he explained, interweaving his fingers. "The two realities shouldn't coexist, so the combined universes have been trying to right themselves, creating... conflicts. Say, for example, that someone on the alternate universe was never born, whereas on our universe said person is alive with a small family of his own. He can't both have never been born and live a full life with his family, and so the two realities cancel each other out by killing said person and everyone that he might have come into contact with.

"We call this man one of the 'affected,' as in he is affected directly by the two merging universes. He has to die in order to balance the two realities, but he doesn't just disappear. Instead, he suddenly goes raving mad and kills everyone around him that he might have ever known or interacted with, and he doesn't stop his rampage until he himself is killed." He stopped as Jane sucked in a rapid breath of air.

Suddenly all of the mass murderings she had researched became clear. Now she had the explanation behind why the seemingly normal people suddenly snapped and began killing their relatives and people they associated with. The pieces of the puzzle were beginning to come together, but the result left a bitter taste in her mouth. If the affected person killed everyone they had ever come into contact with, the result would be monumental. Family, relatives, school mates, friends, coworkers, the list of people one interacts with throughout their lives is gargantuan.

Jane thought silently to herself. If what he said about the plagues and wars the scientists initiated on the other universe were true, not to mention the destroyed planets, then there was going to be a lot of "affected" popping up.

"When did the universes first start to collide?" Jane asked, trying to imagine how quickly the universes were merging and how much time they had left to somehow stop the process.

He sighed, absently rubbing a hand through his dark hair as he stared around the room. "Recently." His voice drawled. "Two days ago, in fact."

Jane was shocked at how rapidly the changes were taking place. It was just yesterday when Jane had read the first reports of the "affected" going on killing sprees, and she had only been looking among nearby planets. It was hard to imagine how many other killings were going on throughout the rest of the universe.

His eyes bore into hers as his voice once again lowered. "The scientists have been experimenting on this universe for years, and now it is hardly recognizable to our own. I fear that once the two universes are completely combined, nothing will be left."

She kept her expression impassive as the reality of this truth sunk in. Apparently the scientists had instigated wars, experimented with plagues, and destroyed entire planets on this alternate universe. Such major changes in history would make it difficult for the two universes to have any similarities, perhaps there were none left. The two universes would completely cancel each other out as everything dissimilar was destroyed.

Jane clenched her jaw as she thought about what the scientists had done. She was sickened by their selfishness and lack of concern as they performed their _experiments _on an alternate universe. A part of her was glad that they were finally seeing the damage their actions wrought, though the destruction of both of the universes was an exponential price to pay because of their meddling with time. Her eyes flicked once again to the man's outfit, the buttons on his dress shirt, the leather shoes, his black suit pants, his belt even had a buckle. Such an outfit was extremely outdated, and yet it looked brand new.

She wondered how the man knew everything about the Time Gate, and began to speculate that he might have been a significant part of it. Was he one of the scientist who passed through to the other universe? If so, he was partly responsible for the destruction of both realities as the two of them collided. She held her head high and stared at him dead on.

"So what are we going to do save our universe?" She asked, daring him to come up with the answer. There might not be anything for them to do, but she doubted that. The Admiral had specifically called her to help him with his "problem," and he said that he deemed her entirely capable of handling it. Though she considered this man to be part of the cause of the problem, she hoped and trusted that he would have a solution up one of his purple sleeves.

He sat back in his seat, crossing his arms over his chest as a bemused smirk flitted on his face from her arrogance. "_I_ am going to go to the Time Gate, and _you_ are going to take me there," he stated, drawing out the pronouns.

Jane smirked, remembering the Admiral's warning on how her new partner didn't like to work with others. "What are we going to do once we get there?"

He stared at her, the mixed colors of his blue and green eyes peering into her own. She was reminded once again of how handsome he was, with his high forehead and curly dark hair messily arranged on his head. His forearms were crossed over his slender yet muscular chest as he continued to stare at her with his beautiful pools of eyes, his lips pursed. "You are going to leave that to me," he stated in his deep baritone voice.

Jane wondered if she should trust him. He obviously wasn't telling her everything, she didn't even know his name. Her only purpose wasn't just to give him a ride, was it? If that were the case, why did he tell her everything about the Time Gate? She determined that she was going to assist him, and not just provide the transport he needed. She supposed that regardless of his desire to work alone, he would probably require her assistance and she was going to help him. The entire universe was at stake.

Jane stood, their meeting over. "Fine. Let's return to the bridge and put in the Time Gate's coordinates then, shall we?" She extended her hand to the man who continued to sit on the chair, content with watching her. Finally he stood, his height extending several inches above her. Jane peered up into his face, continuing to hold out her hand. "I don't believe I caught your name, or title," she stated, doubting that he was going to tell her his real name or station.

"You can call me the Commander, Captain." He silkily responded, briskly shaking her hand. So he was pulling rank on her, Jane realized. Commander was the rank just above her own in the Star Fleet, though she had never heard of him. She doubted that he was actually a commander of anything other than himself, but if he wanted her crew to think of him as of higher rank than their captain, then so be it. It didn't bother her too much, though she knew that "the Commander" was obviously lying to her face.

"Commander." Jane acknowledged, dropping his hand, deciding to play his games. She turned from him and headed towards the door, sliding her hand over the sensor as the door opened with a sigh. She heard him pick up his duffel bag and follow behind her. They made their way back to the main bridge, Jane nodding curtly to the crew members they passed on their way.

Their solitary ride up the lift was in mutual silence, both of them engaged in their own thoughts. She wondered who the commander really was. He wasn't of Star Fleet, that much was made certain from his choice in clothing. He didn't appear to be someone who was in charge of others, and instead looked like a type of person who only fended for himself without sparing a thought for others. The lift doors slid open and they both passed into the control room.

Jane noticed as the crew members sat straighter in their chairs and stopped chatting with each other upon her entrance. She appreciated the respect they showed her, but felt slightly guilty that their conversations had ceased on her part. She like watching the camaraderie among her crew take place. While she worked with the transparent screens on the bridge, her crew members thinking that she wasn't paying attention to them, Jane would watch as they smiled and laughed and told jokes with one another as they worked. However, they stopped as soon as they thought she was watching in order to show their diligence.

She turned to the left and quickly passed by them, heading towards the stairs to the bridge, the commander following close behind, his duffle bag still over his shoulder. After he typed in the coordinates to the time gate she would assign someone to lead him to his rooms so that he could become situated, and not have to carry his things with him wherever he went. Jane stepped onto the bridge and crossed over to her circular platform. Triss was in her corner on the side of the bridge, though instead of bowing over her e-book she was watching Jane and the commander approach. She watched as shock registered over her second in command's face as the commander stepped onto the bridge as well.

No one was allowed on the bridge other than the captain and the second in command, and Jane could feel the stares as the crewmembers within the room gaped at the man in the purple shirt who calmly followed Jane into the Captain's platform. Ignoring the stares Jane waved her hand out in the air as her many transparent screens flew around her in a wide semicircle. She quickly closed down the screens that held her latest searches for the mass killings before her companion could see them, only leaving one screen in the air. It was the one that managed the main controls of the ship and set their course. She stepped to the side, motioning for the commander to put in the coordinates.

He stepped forwards, glancing all around him at the upturned faces who stared at him on the center of the platform. He then set his jaw and ignored them as he focused on the screen in front of him, quickly typing in the coordinates. Once finished he looked towards Jane.

"Thank you Commander." Jane turned towards Triss, who was remained in her seat, her mouth agape at the odd sight before her. Only the Captain was allowed to alter the course, even the second in command did not have that power, and yet the stranger who had arrived that morning was given the privilege. Jane waved her second in command over to where she and the commander stood. The Treshiss quickly snapped her jaw shut and swooped up her e-book to saunter over to the two of them.

"Triss, I would like you to take the Commander to his private quarters and allow him to become situated." She ordered, nodding towards the man at her side. Triss stared at the commander, then briskly nodded and walked to the stairs. He quietly turned to follow her, shifting his duffel bag on his shoulder.

After watching him leave, Jane turned to look at the expanse of faces in front of her. Every crew member's eyes were peeled on the commander as he crossed the room to the lift, confusion and amazement written across their features. She had been ordered to treat him as a partner, and as her partner he was going to have the same privileges as her. She considered giving him a matching uniform to her own to see if he accepted it, reminding him that they were to work as a team.

Jane wasn't sure if she trusted the man. She knew he had lied to her about his name, but the information about the time gate had all been true, she felt it. He had put enough trust in her to trust her with the information, letting her know that the end of the universe was going to happen as more things began to spin out of control on the other universe combined with hers.

She waved her hand and once again an expanse of transparent screens spread out in front of her. She searched where they were going, examining the coordinates he had plugged in. They were moving far into the edge of the universe, away from major civilized planets and out of the reach of major Starships. Apparently the scientist who had invented the Time Gate had thought that their disconnection from civilizations would help them from creating too much trouble, she thought ironically. That was certainly proved wrong, Jane thought with a huff. It would take them several days on full speed to make it to the coordinates. A disturbing thought came to mind as she wondered what the state of their universe would be in within the next few days. If it had only been two days since the initial collide and the amount of "affected" taking place were already popping up all over different planets, who knew how bad it would get by the time they arrived.


	4. 04 Intrigued

Damian followed the Treshiss down from the bridge and back to the lift, feeling the stares on him as he passed. He knew that stepping onto the captain's deck, the bridge itself, was something that no one besides the captain and second in command were allowed to do. He was surprised that the captain had required him to personally type in the coordinates, he could have just written them down or sent her a message, but instead she had allowed him onto the bridge and had let him personally alter the course.

He wondered what her actions meant. Was she showing him that she was leaving this task to him? It certainly seemed that way. If she had put in the coordinates it would show that she was still in charge of the situation and whether or not she would take him to the Time Gate, but instead she had let him do it on his own, basically announcing to the world that he was in command. She was certainly an interesting character.

He followed the Treshiss into the elevator, and as the doors slid shut behind them she didn't say a word during the quiet descent. The captain could have chosen any crew member to lead him to his rooms, but instead she had chosen her second in command. Again, it was an act of respect, showing him that he was above the help of any lowly crew member. The action had showed his power to the crew members, and they would certainly have to treat him with respect.

He had never been treated with such respect before. People merely _tolerated_ him, they might recognize his genius, but they only treated him with common decency, hardly expounding more effort on their part. It felt strange to be in such a powerful position just because of the Captain's actions.

The doors to the lift slid open and the Treshiss immediately stepped out and into a long hallway. The hallway was identical to the one that he and the captain had passed through earlier, though he knew that they were on a different floor. The doors on either side of the hallway were all closed shut, and eventually there came breaks in the hallway as the walls opened up to lead to connecting hallways down the sides. They turned right down one of these hallways, and saw more doorways on either sides, the hallway branching off into more corridors as well. They took a few more sharp turns until finally the second in command stopped in front of a doorway. She waved her hand over the sensor and typed in a short four digit code as the door slid open. She turned to him, motioning him inside. He stepped inside the small room. The walls were white, matching the bleached floors. A small bed was attached to the wall, a pile of sheets folded nicely laying on the bottom of the bed, a desk stood to his right as a place to store his belongings. To his left there was another doorway.

"This will be your room, Commander." The Treshiss spoke with a hiss, the first words she offered to him.

Damian nodded and dropped his duffel bag onto the bed. The room would suit his needs, he didn't require much.

"Your bathroom is through the doorway," she spoke again, pointing to the door he had noticed earlier. "You may shower and change into your uniform."

Damian scowled and turned to face her, hating the idea of being forced into a uniform. She didn't see his expression as her face was glued to her e-book as she swiftly pressed buttons and swiped the screen. "You may travel wherever you wish in the ship, the cafeteria and common rooms are in the next floor down." She continued, completely oblivious to his glare, or ignoring him. "This is your pass code into your room," with a flick of her wrist a small transparent screen floated up in front of him, the code 7437 clearly readable on the screen.

She turned to leave, the screen disappearing behind her, but she paused at the doorway. "Oh, and the Captain has just informed me that all of your meals and amenities will be provided at no cost to you," she read from her screen. Though her previous information had been given in a dull monotone, this last statement had a twinge of malice laced through her otherwise emotionless tone.

Damian knew that the Treshiss' pride had probably damaged because the Captain had made her and not some lower member of the crew guide him to his room. It wasn't her job to meet his needs, and not only was her task of leading him an insult to her pride but he had also been allowed to personally alter the course, which he recognized as a task only the captain was permitted to do. He took pride in the fact that he was able to get on somebody's nerves without trying and let a small smile form on his lips as he watched her depart hastily from his room, the door sliding shut behind her.

He decided that throughout the day he would walk around the ship in order to understand his surroundings, as it would take at least a week for them to reach their destination. It would be a good idea to get to know his surroundings, besides, he wanted to learn more about how the Captain ran the ship.

He was intrigued by the Captain. Her reaction to his declaration of the possibility of actual time travel was nothing short of astounding. She had _smiled_ at the concept, immediately accepting it and following his explanation as her responses showed her comprehension of the difficult subject matter. She would be an interesting person to study as they travelled to the Time Gate over the next few days.

He stood and departed out of his room and once standing in the hallway he realized he had no idea where to go. The Treshiss was out of sight, and when she had lead him to his room she had walked swiftly through the maze of hallways and rooms, he figured that the doors all lead to rooms similar to his own as the level appeared to be where the crew had their personal quarters.

No one was in sight, and he needed a map. He glanced down the white walls and closed doors of the hallway, looking for a camera. He noticed small black circles on the ceilings, evenly spaced down the long hallway. He stepped directly beneath the black circle, recognizing that it must be a camera, and held out his right hand towards it. He swung his hand to the right and suddenly a transparent screen appeared in front of him.

He pushed buttons on the transparent screen until the ship's map was brought up, a golden dot showing his location. He memorized the route it took for him to get back to the lift, and then scrolled to the next level down and searched for the eating area. A large cafeteria was directly below him and he learned that it was open 24/7 and there were no assigned eating periods, and instead the crew made time to eat whenever they were off duty.

He closed the screen and made his way back to the lift, retracing the route he memorized from the map. He noticed that the cameras spanned all the way down the hallways, so should he need to pull up a map again he would be able to. However, he did not want to appear lost and determined to not pull up a map again unless absolutely necessary. He made his way to the lift without any problems and stepped inside, the doors sliding shut behind him. He pushed the button for the floor directly below him.

The doors opened in front of him to reveal a wide hallway, the ceilings exceptionally higher than the ceilings on the level above. He was no longer alone, dozens of crew members were seen walking down the hallways, their different shirt colors showing that this area was one where anyone could meet. As he stepped out of the lift he noticed their eyes glancing towards him, but he paid them no heed as he walked towards the cafeteria.

A wide entrance opened up into the cafeteria, tables were spaced evenly throughout the wide open expanse. At the far side of the room was a long bar that a few crew members were lined in front of, large screens showing the meals for the day. Damian noticed the stares he received from the crew members at the tables or the ones milling about the cafeteria, and a collective hush went throughout the area as they turned to stare. He ignored them as he made his way to the lines, knowing that he stuck out from the rest of them because of his choice of clothes. The stares lingered, and Damian began to wonder if word had already gotten around about him crossing the bridge and planning their course. The chatting then began again and he couldn't help but to wonder if they were talking about him.

He stood behind a tall humanoid in a yellow shirt that defined him as an engineer and peered towards the menus floating above the bar. Several of the food items were strange and foreign, but he eventually settled on an average looking sandwich. After getting his tray of food he turned to look for an open table. He found one at the corner of the cafeteria, far away from anyone else. He took his seat, all alone, and peered all around him.

Damian rolled over in his small bed, blinking the sleep from his eyes. He had retired to his bed after spending his day strolling through the ship and examining his surroundings, none of the crew members approaching him and instead just ignoring him. He didn't want to go back to the bridge as there was nothing for him to do there, and he didn't want to return to the bridge and be in the Captain's way. He had no tasks right now, all he could do was wait until they reached the Time Gate, hoping that the universe didn't collapse around them.

When he had retired to his room after wasting his day away exploring the ship he had sat down on his bed, exhausted by his inability to do anything useful when he felt like the world was falling around him. Determining to at least try to do something about the impending doom he had waved up the transparent screens and spent a majority of the night searching for more cases of the affected. He searched among news reports for any mass murders but couldn't find anything.

Something wasn't right, there should be thousands of reports all over, so he continued to dig. He then brought up the obituary reports of a nearby planet, focusing on the ones that didn't have an explanation for their deaths, hoping that something would be there. As he peered at the numbers, he noticed a strange pattern. Over the last few days there were increasing reports of obituaries lacking an explanation for their deaths. The reports were astounding, hundreds of thousands of unmarked names showed up on the screen for the deaths of the day. He was astounded by the amount of recent deaths, and became infuriated with the concept of the Time Gate. They should have left the other universe alone.

The oddest part about it all is that no one seemed to even notice. There were no reports on the increasing amount of deaths. He wished that he could hack into the police reports to see how they dealt with the bodies, as there certainly should be records, but he couldn't find anything. He only had limited access of course and was unable to hack into their systems.

He instead continued to scroll through the long list of obituaries, and to his surprise they suddenly began to disappear. He clicked on one of the unmarked obituaries before it also disappeared. A smiling man's picture appeared on the screen, Robert Carlyle written in bold letters under his name. Cause of death: unknown. 54 year old male. He was probably one of the ones affected, Damian reasoned, as his cause of death was unlisted. He clicked on 'personal information,' but nothing popped up. That was strange as in this day and age everyone's personal life was easily accessible over the many social networks online. He backed out of the man's page and returned to the obituary list, the name still on the screen. Suddenly Robert Carlyle disappeared, the list shortening.

Curious, Damian blinked, wondering if his mind was just playing games with him. Just like the other names on the list this one had disappeared as well. He brought up the search bar and typed in the man's name, but no records appeared.

He wondered why the records were disappearing. Could the merging universes be counteracting one another, completely erasing people who should never have been born? He considered the fact that perhaps the information was just kept from being leaked to the public by a strict police force and lack of news casters, but that explanation was highly illogical. If a loved one suddenly turned and killed their entire family and people close to them, killing until they themselves were killed, there would be a social outrage. Instead, there was nothing. Only records of the deaths, and even those were disappearing.

When Damian had finally sent his screen away to get some sleep he had tossed and turned all night, his mind racing with the possibilities. People all over the universe were becoming affected by the merging realities, killing those around them, and then suddenly _disappearing._ It was so unsettling, especially since he couldn't do about it until he finally reached the Time Gate.

He sat up in his bed, knowing that he wouldn't be getting anymore sleep as he rubbed his aching temples. He was surrounded in darkness, so with a croak he said "lights" and they flashed to life, illuminating the small room. He swung his feet over the bed and realized that he had slept completely dressed, his belt and shoes had been taken off, thankfully, but his dress pants and buttoned shirt were wrinkled uncomfortably around his body. He stood and made his way over to the bathroom, waving his hand over the sensor to the door. The door slid open as the bathroom lights also switched on, revealing a small sink to his right and a tall shower with a clear glass door. He stepped the well lit bathroom, the door sliding shut behind him as he peeled off his clothes.

He stepped into the shower and began typing onto a small screen to choose his water temperature and pushed "Start." He closed his eyes as the water fell through the ceiling. As the warm water ran over his body he tried to relax, but he could feel his shoulders tense and muscles clench in anticipation for the worst. There wasn't much relaxation to be felt when impending doom was just around the corner. He opened his eyes and stared at the glass door which had messages on the screen. The time was clearly read on the corner, 08:13. He was surprised that he had slept in so long, especially since he didn't feel like he had slept a wink. He figured that because of his late night researching and because of the erratic, stressful last few days were the reasons why he had caught any sleep last night.

He brought up the list of shampoos and one of them caught his eye; lemon. He remembered the distinct scent from his private meeting with the Captain, and realized that she was wearing the scent. He suddenly became embarrassed that he knew the type of shampoo the captain used on her hair, so he quickly scrolled down the list and picked the one that was labeled as having no scent.

While lathering his hair he remembered the way he had felt when he had first laid eyes on the Captain. He was embarrassed by his looks, by his messy hair and out of date clothing. He reasoned that today he would make an effort to make himself look presentable, though he still didn't like the idea of wearing a uniform. He hated fitting in with others, which made his desire to appeal to this woman so strange. He reminded himself of the only reason why he needed her; to lead him to the Time Gate. He was unable to run a ship on his own that would take him all the way to the edge of the universe, he had to hitch a ride with a big shuttle, and so he was doomed to have to have help instead of making a solitary mission like he preferred. His brother had made him promise to let the captain know what was happening, most likely to spite him.

After finishing his shower the water shut off and he chose the option for manual drying as the doors slid open, a towel appearing out of the wall. As he wrapped it around himself he was surprised to see that his clothes that he had strewn on the floor had all disappeared, and instead a uniform floated in the air next to the wall. Even more surprising was the color of the uniform; the shirt was a dark blue. The Captain's color.

He was dumbfounded. The Captain had been showing him far too much respect. When he had rudely arrived hours early, she had done nothing to reprimand him or complain, when he had told her of the impossible truth of the combining universes she had accepted his explanation and then hadn't pressed when he told her that he would take care of the Time Gate himself, trusting his opinion in leaving her out of his plans. Even after lying to her about his rank- he wasn't actually a commander- she had accepted his title without a complaint though she probably knew that he was lying. Then she had further put her trust into him and showed her respect as she allowed him onto the bridge, giving him complete control over their course. It was too much to take in, he didn't deserve anything that she was doing for him. Though, of course, he was intending on saving the entire universe by himself, not that he was certain his attempts would even work.

His thoughts of putting on his own clothing were completely wiped from his mind as he stared at his waiting uniform. She was making him her complete equal in every regard, though he certainly wasn't fit to be a captain and didn't deserve her efforts. He held out his hand and let the material slip through his fingers, it was very flexible and durable and smooth to the touch. He let go of his shirt and picked up the black pants, letting his towel drop to the floor as he stretched the material in his hands, it was flexible and gave quite easily. He slid one foot into the stretchy trousers and pulled up, the material clinging to his calves and thighs. After pulling them up, surprised at how perfectly they fit, he grabbed the belt that was hanging in the air. He threaded it through the loops and clicked the silver button as the belt automatically fit itself to his waist. He pulled on the captain's shirt, again surprised at how perfectly it fit. His boots were sitting on the floor, and though the captain had allowed him to wear the same color as her uniform, he could see that the boots were not of the same height to hers and were instead identical to the rest of the crew members' uniforms. He pulled them on as they formed to his feet.

Now fully dressed, he examined himself in the mirror above the sink. He looked very proper in his uniform and began to wonder why he was so vehemently opposed to them before. The dark blue contrasted very nicely against his pale skin and brought out the blue in his greenish-blue eyes.


	5. 05 Research

Jane stood on the circular platform of the bridge and tried to hide her scowl as she examined the many screens in front of her. After learning about the affected she had spent the rest of the day and all of the night searching for more cases and found them popping up all over the universe, though they weren't as noticeable as before. There were no more leading headlines of the attacks and killings, though the police reports showed that the killings were only increasing. Daily life went on, the suddenly dead and missing people not causing a lick of a difference. Though as she continued to search she noticed how the reports continued to disappear, and no matter what encryptions she used she could not trace the missing reports.

The cumulating deaths and missing reports weren't the only reasons why she was upset. She couldn't find the commander _anywhere _in any report online_._ He just didn't exist, at all. Even though she knew that he wasn't really a commander, she had looked up all of the known commanders in the universe (showing billions of results) he was not among the list. His image had been captured by hundreds of cameras as he had walked among the ship the day before, and though she had searched with his image on the main database for a match nothing showed up. He was an anomaly that she couldn't explain. She should be able to pick up who she was with her technology, but his name must have been erased somehow from all databases. Who would do that?

She couldn't figure out what type of job he had, though if she had an idea that was where she would search. Her search phrases were just too broad, his information might be out there somewhere and perhaps he wasn't so impossible and she just couldn't find him. If only she could specify where he was from or what he might do as a profession. She began to question why he was the one chosen to help save the universe from ending. How did he know so much about the Time Gate and the colliding universes? Where did he gain the information from? Was he one of the scientists?

She began to wonder if the commander was from the alternate universe. If people here were able to pass through to the other side, did that mean that someone over there could pass over to this universe? It would certainly explain why he knew so much about the Time Gate, and his strange clothing. Though, if he were from the alternate universe, wouldn't he try harder to fit in instead of parading around in an outfit that hadn't been seen for centuries?

Even more infuriating than all of this was the fact that none of her crew knew what was going on. The end of time itself is at stake, and they had no idea. Millions of people all over the universe were killing everyone around them, and yet no one knew about it. She began to question whether it was really happening, surely _the end_ couldn't happen as all of her crew members were animatedly chatting with each other, their excitement noticeably brighter than before. Jane watched them through her transparent screens as they assumed that she was ignoring them, they were passing bets and laughing with one another, excited about the games that were going to take place later that day.

As she watched their smiling faces Jane began to doubt herself. Certainly the end of the world couldn't be approaching if everyone were so happy. What if all of this were just an elaborate ploy? The reports of the sudden mass killings, that apparently only she had seen and which just so happened to disappear. The Admiral's call, the strange man who called himself the commander, they could just be using her to transfer the commander to a remote location, to do who knows what. The explanation of the colliding universes could just be a ploy for her to become scared and do what the commander asks.

No, she decided, it wasn't all a big lie. Her instincts told her that what the commander had said were true. The fear in the Admiral's eyes was not faked. There was no way that so many reports could be faked and then be erased, even if it was just someone hacking into her own computers. Creating such an elaborate hoax with time travel and colliding universes was just too extreme.

The end of the universe was coming, she realized, unless somehow she and the commander reached the Time Gate and somehow fixed everything. Until then, she was not going to let her crew know of the impending doom. Let the games begin.


	6. 06 Doing the Rounds

If Damian thought that he was receiving lots of stares the day before because of his clothing, he was certainly receiving tenfold the amount of attention now. The crew members halted in their step and openly gawked at him, several of them with their mouths hung open as they stared at him make his way down the open hallway. When he entered the cafeteria the entire area just _stopped._ Every eye turned to him as he stood in the open doorway, standing tall, his blue captain's shirt clearly visible. A few crew members snapped to attention, though they seemed unsure of themselves.

Damian briskly walked to the lines as they stepped out of his way, letting him pass to the front of the line. An alien stood behind the counter, one that he couldn't quite identify. It had eight long arms, tentacles really, and stood on two squat legs. Its face resembled that of a slug, its two black eyes held far above its head on two slimy pole-like appendages. The alien stared at him as he typed his order into a small screen on the counter separating him from the cook. He wasn't particularly hungry, and the stares he was receiving made him extremely self conscious. He began to think that perhaps giving him the captain's uniform wasn't the most generous thing the Captain could have done. He ordered some toast and some orange juice. After receiving his tray he walked to the far corner of the cafeteria, sitting as far away from everyone and facing the doorway.

After he took his seat the cafeteria slowly buzzed back to life. He took a few bites of his toast as he watched them. Quickly they seemed to forget that he was there as their conversations came back to life, each of them speaking in their native languages. Typically the crew members associated with those of matching uniform shirts, their races intermingling. Humans and aliens alike mixed with each other in the cafeteria, and though english was typically made out other languages were to be heard in the mix. They all seemed to be excited about something, certainly not about him, Damian thought, as they seemed to forget that he was even there. They were much more animated than they were the day before. Something important must be happening today.

Damian took a deep breath as the lift raised, he was finally free from the stares, though it would only be a brief respite. During breakfast he had observed the workers animately talk about some upcoming event, several of them surrounding a few workers and slapping them on their backs. He wondered what that was all about.

The elevator doors opened and the control room expanded out in front of him. Once again he was greeted with a cacophony of noises as the workers talked to each other in their rows, their expressions showing their excitement. They were definitely acting different than they were yesterday, their postures more relaxed and their voices louder than before. He immediately assumed that the Captain was out of the room and glanced to the bridge to check.

He was taken aback when he saw her standing in the center of the circular platform, looking as stunning as when he had first laid eyes on her. He was confused; the day before when she had been in the room her crew had been the epitome of productiveness and activity, though today they were much more relaxed even though she was right there. Suddenly the pieces clicked as he saw the several floating screens in front of her. Though she was in the room she obviously wasn't paying much attention to what was going on around her as her fingers flied through the air, her entire focus on the work in front of her. Her workers must have noticed that and taken the liberty to slack off. He should have expected as such, no one would be able to _look_ so productive for so long, so as soon as the Captain left or ignored them they would be able to work at their normal pace.

Damian felt the stares on him once more as he stepped into the room, the voices suddenly hushing as they saw him standing there in his captain's uniform. He held his arms behind his back as he stepped to the side of the lift, keeping his eyes on the Captain. He saw her lift her head in response to the sudden change of noise as she glanced at her workers through her screens, following their gaze until her eyes rested on him. He felt very pleased that he had taken the time to actually arrange his hair that morning as she looked him over. She then waved for him to join her on the bridge as she returned to examining her screens, her fingers flying in the air.

He walked forwards, shocked yet pleased that she was allowing him on the bridge once more. He felt dozens of eyes trace his movements as he carefully took each step up the stairs, keeping his back straight and head held high. Once on the bridge he watched the Captain's reaction, but she was faced away from him, her entire focus on the screens in front of her. Damian was content to wait. He held his hands behind his back as he watched her movements. Her amount of focus was incredible; each screen was scrolling through information on its own, several of them in entirely different languages. She jumped from one screen to the next, making adjustments, skimming over messages, quickly typing a few of her own, sometimes two hands doing something entirely different at once. He noticed that the rest of the crew members had turned back to their work, seemingly accepting the fact that now they had two captains. He wondered what she had done in order for them to just blindly accept the fact.

He glanced to his left and was glad to see that the Treshiss wasn't in her small corner bowed over her e-book. He didn't much like the second in command, and he knew that feeling was mutual between them.

He examined the screens that surrounded the captain, though a few of them were obscured from his sight by her body. The first screen he noticed was a report of the ship and all of its functions, codes and numbers zooming by the screen. On one of the screens it appeared to be a list of obituaries of several of the nearby planets, he realized that she must be doing the same research as he had the night before. From where he stood he could see that some of the names were simply disappearing. On another screen police reports were scrolling by, which was odd as he hadn't been able to access those. A few of the other screens had recent events outlined, and another one was a messaging center. A lot of the things on the screens he could not recognize as they were in languages that he had not learned, and yet her eyes skimmed those as she typed a few messages of her own using the different languages. He was amazed at her skill at multitasking and linguistic skills, she was certainly a sight to behold. He figured he could stare at her all day as she worked, but after a few moments she suddenly waved all of the screens away.

She turned to look at him, her eyes appraising the way the uniform fit his body. "How do you like your uniform, Commander?" she asked as she stepped towards him.

"It's fine." Damian responded, "I appreciate your efforts to make me feel welcome, Captain."

The captain smiled, her teeth blindingly white. "I was told to treat you as my partner, and so I figured holding you to a matching rank as me will help us to be equals."

Damian furrowed his brow, not aware of that command. He hadn't expected to be treated so highly, he was merely using her for her ship to get to the Time Gate.

"It's time for me to make my rounds. Would you care to join me?" She asked, jarring him from his train of thought.

"Certainly." Damian responded, knowing that he had nothing better to do.

She turned and lead him off the bridge, he noticed that the crew had once again became fully alert, sitting forwards in their chairs with their voices lowered as they focused on their screens. Apparently they kept track of when their captain was alert. She lead him to the lift and after the doors slid open she stepped inside, Damian joining her at her side. The doors slid closed and they were alone.

"I noticed you looking at the local obituaries." Damian began, wondering what she had learned in her research.

She frowned. "There have been an influx of deaths, though they are all being written off as 'unknown cause of death,' and then the reports disappear entirely." She turned to look at him, her gaze penetrating. "Do you think the 'affected' are being completely erased?"

Damian pursed his lips, amazed that she had already pieced the clues together in order to know that the deaths were normally reports of the affected's work. "Yes. I found the same results, and I think that the two universes are counteracting each other, allowing the 'affected' to kill each other before all of their records completely disappear."

The captain nodded and then turned back to the doors as they slid open, revealing a wide and long hallway. She stepped off the lift, Damian following close behind. An expanse of yellow and pink shirted crew members stretched on down the hallway, each of them briskly walking down the hallway with a purpose.

"Isaac." The captain called to a crew member in a yellow shirt. The crew member stopped and turned to look at the two of them, quickly snapping to attention, holding his feathered hand to his head. His skin was made of bright red feathers and a long beak extended where a nose should be, the beady eyes flashing between the two of them. Damian recognized the alien as being a Eudocimus from the planet Ruber, known for their bright red feathers and long beaks.

"At ease Isaac." The captain said sweetly as she stepped towards the Eudocimus, who relaxed but still glanced hesitantly between the two of them. "How are the engines?"

"Fine." The Eudocimus chirped. "Everything has been running smoothly Captain." His voice was high pitched and accented with trills, sounding like a bird.

The captain then began speaking to him in another language, her voice high and clear as she chirped and whistled fluently. The crew member then answered her in kind, apparently using his native tongue. Once finished she spoke a few more words and then nodded at him curtly as he turned away. She glanced back at Damian, who raised an eyebrow at the strange conference. She smiled at his look of awe and confusion and instead just continued down the hallway. Damian fell into step besides her.

"You speak Eudocimean?" He asked, astounded once again at her skill.

"Yep." She responded cheerfully, then turned her head to give him a sly smile, "don't worry, we didn't talk about you." She then turned off into a wide doorway, not giving him a chance to respond.

An expanse of engines stretched out in front of them, each of them running smoothly as yellow shirted crew members milled about the large machines. The room snapped to attention as she entered, though she quickly said "at ease" to let them relax. She walked forwards to a large man manning one of the engines, muscles rippling under his tight uniform.

"Hello Jacob." She said cheerfully as she approached.

"Captain." He responded with a salute, his eyes briefly glancing over to Damian.

"Are you planning on participating in the games today?" She asked him.

A smile spread across his lips. "Yes, Captain." He was clean shaven and his hair was shaved close to his head and a long scar extended across his jaw, his appearance shouting that he was a warrior.

Damian looked between the two of them, confused. He thought of the excited chatter he heard in the cafeteria that morning and the elevated noise in the control room, perhaps the "games" were what everyone were excited about.

"Good. Which ones?"

"Hand to hand combat and last man standing, Captain."

"Excellent. I'm sure you'll do well, Jacob." The captain then turned her gaze to Damian. "Commander, would you be willing to participate in our games this evening?"

Taken aback, Damian gazed at her confused. "I haven't heard of them," he answered honestly.

"Oh, of course." She responded, then turned back to the engineer. "Jacob can you explain to the Commander what the games are?"

He nodded. "The games are a test of skills and allows for friendly competition among the crew members, tonight there are three different categories; weapons, fighting, and survival." He spoke briskly and straight to the point. "For the weapons category the contestants will shoot in the shooting range and the winner will be chosen for the greatest score, based on speed and accuracy. For hand to hand combat two contestants face head to head, and the winners move on up the ranks." He then stopped, a wide smile splitting his face. "I made it into the top ten contestants for that one during the last games."

Damian nodded, glancing at the scar on his jaw and his many muscles. If anyone were a perfect candidate for hand to hand combat, this man certainly fit the bill.

"The last game is the most exciting, in my opinion," Jacob continued. "It's called 'Last Man Standing,' and basically all of the contestants get sent into a maze and try to survive. Our guns our set to stun and our goal is to eliminate all of the other contestants, the last man standing wins."

"If I remember correctly you lasted for quite some time on that one as well." The captain mused.

Jacob proudly stuck out his chest, glad that she had remembered. "I was among the last three." He beamed.

The captain smiled. "I look forwards to seeing you there," she said as she patted Jacob on his shoulder, "good luck."

Damian wondered why the captain would conduct games on her ship. Certainly they weren't needed, and he had never before seen a ship do anything like this. Perhaps that was why her crew respected her so much, because instead of being stuck on a moving ship forced to do repetitive tasks they had chances to play games.

The captain turned back to glance at Damian before stepping past him to another worker in the room. This crew member was an alien that he did not recognize, its skin was green and slimy, and the most accurate description Damian could think to describe the alien would be to call it a toad.

"Jessica, how is it going?" She asked as she approached the worker.

The alien's neck bulged into a huge bubble as she answered in a surprisingly deep voice, "Everything is running smoothly, Captain."

The captain then began to croak and gargle to the worker, and Damian realized that she was talking to her worker in their native tongue. A thin film crossed over the aliens eyes as she blinked. She also responded in the other language as they continued to chat.

Damian was dumbfounded. This was the second language the captain had mastered, and it sounded to him as though she had spoken both of them fluently. He wondered why the Captain had taken the time to do her rounds on the ship, he knew that she had all of the records of the ship available to her so she knew exactly the state of the engine room, and yet here she was chatting with their crew.

After talking to the toad alien, she proceeded to pass around the room and talk to the other workers, often times including Damian in the conversations as well. She was very pleasant and knew all of the names of her crew members, confusing Damian even further. She was unlike any person he had ever met. Once she was done talking to everyone in the room they headed back into the hallway.

"Why are you doing this?" Damian asked as they began walking further down the hallway, crew members saluting as they walked past.

"Hmm?" She hummed absently, nodding to a few people as they walked by.

"Meeting with your crew members, learning their names, playing games. You don't need any of these things to run a ship."

"No, I suppose I don't need any of these things." She responded demurely. They continued on in silence. "All of the people on this ship are willing to lay down their lives for me." She stated out of the blue.

Damian was taken aback by the abrupt statement, not sure why she brought it up. She stopped and turned to face him, the people passing by giving them a wide berth. She looked up at him with wide blue eyes, her expression full of concern.

"Their lives are in my hands, and I want to know exactly whose lives I am risking every time this ship is put into danger." Her voice was full of emotion as she continued, "I owe it to them to give them the respect they deserve, and the only way I can think to do that is to spend the time to get to know them."

He was astounded at her sudden, heartfelt confession about her concern for her crew members. To him they were merely workers on the ship she ran, but to her they were much more than just workers. They were individual people who she had taken the time to get to know. There were several hundred workers, but he had the feeling that the captain had taken the time to learn every single one of their names. He was touched.

She then lowered her gaze and smiled, "the games are just a bit of fun that just started taking place a few years back, and now they have become incredibly popular. They boost morale and they give me a chance to fully determine my crew's skill sets." She glanced back up at him, waiting for a response.

Damian was glad that she had lightened the discussion by turning back to the games. "Will you be participating?" He asked.

She winked at him. "I might." She then abruptly turned on her heel to continue down the hallway.


	7. 07 Let the Games Begin

Jane had continued to do her rounds all morning, the Commander compliantly following along and occasionally participating in the conversations she started up with her crew. He seemed content to stand back and watch as she conversed with her crew, ever the silent observer. They were walking side by side in their matching uniforms as she lead him back to the elevator lift.

"Would you be willing to have lunch with me?" Jane asked, turning her head to the side to look at him as they continued down the long hallway.

He took long steps, his dark hair bouncing against his head. The curls were better managed today than they were the day before, and Jane couldn't help to see how striking of a figure he made in his tight suit and gelled hair.

"Of course," he responded in his sultry baritone voice.

Jane kept her face emotionless as she forced back a smile and moved her eyes away from him to watch their progress down the hallway. She had been looking forwards to spending more time alone with him. She was intrigued and mystified by him, and though she had spent all morning with him she still had no idea who he could be or why he had come to be on her ship. He gave no clues to whether or not he was from the same universe as her or was from the other one. She was hopeful that once alone she would be able to unravel the mystery and learn more about the quiet, tall, insanely handsome man she found herself walking next to.

As they approached the lift they watched as a crew member waved her hand over the sensors for the lift to arrive. She was wearing a pink shirt; a technician, her large ears twitched as she heard them arrive and turned to face them. Her face was covered in brown fur and a small pink triangle of skin represented her small nose, her wide purple eyes blinking as she recognized them. She snapped her heels together and gave a salute as the two captains approached.

"At ease Elsa," Jane commanded as the short crew member bowed as she stepped back from the elevator, allowing them to go first. Jane nodded her thanks as they stepped by and walked onto the lift, alone.

Jane pushed the button leading to the level directly beneath the control room, the same floor where she had taken the commander for their first private meeting. The doors slid shut.

"You have quite the range of dialects at your command, Captain." The commander remarked, staring straight forwards.

Jane smiled at the subtle compliment. "I like learning the different languages," she replied honestly. She knew that it should be nearly impossible for someone to know all of the different languages he had witnessed her use to converse with her crew, so he had every right to be amazed by her talent. Though as she thought about it, she really wasn't that talented, considering the fact that she didn't look her age. She had spent dozens of years learning the languages and everything about the different cultures across the planets, sometimes even spending centuries on the planets she liked most. Learning the languages was easy over time, and she was easily capable of recalling them to mind, her memory perfect though it was swarmed with billions of years worth of information.

The doors slid open and they stared down the abandoned hallway. This floor was considered the "silent level," several of the doors opened into large meeting rooms, though the rest of the rooms contained couches and library areas, offering a respite for the crew to relax in privacy. Though today the floor was abandoned as the crew members not currently on shift were preparing for the games.

She lead the commander down the hallway, past the room that she had lead him into for their first meeting. She stopped in front of another door, this time on the left, and waved her hand over the sensors as the doors slid open. This room resembled a small café, the walls were holographically colored to appear like wood and small tables filled the area. At the far side of the room stood a long counter, which Jane immediately walked towards.

She waved her hand over the metal counter and suddenly a screen appeared in front of her listing the menu for the day. She scrolled through the list as she felt the Commander step to her side. He watched her as she chose what she was going to eat, a small salad and a side of galorp, which was a type of blue goo from the planet Neptoid that was very sweet to the taste and high in protein. She typed out her order and pushed send. Above the counter on the wall was a large metal box, which Jane knew was a lift leading directly to the kitchens. A few moments later with a click the box popped open and a tray containing her food was revealed, so Jane reached in and grabbed the tray. She turned and started walking to a table, the Commander stepping in her place and following her lead by picking his own meal.

Jane admired him as he walked towards her with his tray, he looked extremely handsome his form very tall and slender, and his aquamarine eyes appearing more blue. He sat down across from her at their small table.

"It's strange, isn't it?" Jane declared as she prodded a few leaves with her fork, "how the universe is about to end, and all we can do about it is sit and wait as we eat our lunch."

He peered at her silently, ignoring his food.

"Is there anyone else who knows about the colliding universes?" She asked, thinking of the Admiral's late call, he was the one who had sent the commander to her so he must be somewhat aware of what was happening.

The commander merely stared at her as she played with her food, his eyes trailing her movements. "There are a select few who understand the consequences," he said hesitantly, obviously not wanting to share too much information on the subject.

"Is there anyone else who is trying to solve the problem? The scientists at the Time Gate, for example, are they already working on coming to a solution?"

"They're dead," he stated stiffly.

Jane paused, not expecting that answer. She watched as the commander continued to stare down at his tray. Realizing that he was not going to elaborate on his declaration, she asked, "Are we the last resort?"

He sighed, then looked up from his meal to stare at her. "Yes. Though, if we fail I'm certain that my- the Admiral will send more after us. Though I fear that by then it would be too late."

Jane swallowed as she realized the responsibility that rested on her shoulders. The Admiral had told her that he did not know anyone else who would better be able to complete the task at hand, though he didn't mention that her task would be to somehow stop two universes from colliding. She wondered what he was about to call the Admiral, cutting himself off. His what?

"Let's make sure to save the universe then." Jane said cheerily, though she didn't feel very confident. She took a bite of her salad as she watched the commander's lips twitch into a smirk at her optimistic façade. He also began to eat, dipping his spoon into bowl of soup on his tray.

They continued to eat in silence for a while, their thoughts revolving around the task that was set before them.

"How do you know so much about the Time Gate?" Jane asked suddenly, deciding that since she wasn't able to learn about his past from merely observing him it was best to just ask him straight.

He paused, holding his spoon halfway from the bowl to his lips. He slowly set the spoon back into the bowl as he contemplated his answer. "I was, involved, for a few years." He replied hesitantly.

Jane examined him carefully. He obviously did not appreciate the direct confrontation on his involvement, his beautiful eyes glancing around the room. "Did you pass through the gate itself?" She asked, pressing for more information.

He peered at her, an eyebrow slightly raised. Jane stared back, daring him to answer. If he answered positively she would know that he was one of the scientists, perhaps even setting out their experiments on the alternate universe. He might not have been the one to pull the trigger, place the disease, or destroy the planets, but he would still be guilty by association. Because of the Time Gate and the selfish actions of the scientists the two universes would soon be destroyed, and he would be partly to blame for the loss of billions of lives.

"You can be assured in knowing that I have an extensive knowledge of the effects of the Time Gate, and that once we arrive I have a remedy planned to stop the merging of the two universes." His voice was deep with conviction and once finished with his declaration he promptly returned to his meal.

He had dodged her question, not claiming his affiliation with the group, but at the same time letting Jane know that he must have been heavily involved. If she hadn't heard of time travel, and she every capability of breaking into any database she found, then the only people who could know of the Time Gate must be the ones who were immediately involved. His affiliation with the Time Gate was made even more obvious with his boast of having an "extensive knowledge" of its effects.

They were interrupted when the door to their room suddenly opened. Triss stood at the entrance looking flustered as she frantically typed away at her e-book, though she finally glanced up at the two of them sitting alone together in the room.

"Captain," she acknowledged, her eyes briefly glancing towards the commander before resting on Jane.

"Hello Triss," Jane replied amicably.

"Captain, if you could return to the bridge, it's time for the games to begin."

"Oh, of course. I nearly forgot." Jane stood and took her tray back to the counter, placing her half eaten food back into the metal box and sending it away. The commander stood as well.

"You can continue eating, if you wish." She said to him as she crossed the room to her second in command. He didn't reply as he picked up his tray and followed her example by walking to the counter and placing his tray in the metal box as well.

Triss remained at the doorway, anxiously watching the two of them. Jane felt slightly guilty on leaving her second in command out of the loop, as she still had no idea who the commander was or why he was here. Once Jane walked to her side at the doorway Triss turned on her heel to lead them back to the control room, the commander swiftly stepping to Jane's side.

The elevator doors opened to the control room and Jane saw her entire crew standing and saluting as she entered, excitement shown on their faces. She smiled as she told them to be at ease and swiftly turned to the left to head to the bridge, Triss and the commander following close behind. Her crew returned to their seats and began working once more with a fervor. Once on the bridge Jane walked to the center of the white platform and gazed out at her crew members below her as Triss walked to her desk and the commander remained off to the side, leaning against the wall at the top of the stairs to the bridge.

Jane held her hand out in the air and waved it to the right as her many screens appeared in front of her. She found the video recording controls and set it to record her on the bridge, she then began to open up transparent screens in every room of the ship. Her message would automatically appear at the corner of every screen throughout the spaceship as live footage. After altering the settings Jane began the recording and swiftly swiped her screens away.

"Hello everyone. This is your captain speaking." Jane said with a smile as she looked forwards to a camera that was floating directly in front of her. From the corner of her eye she could see the screens below her suddenly change as she appeared on the top right corner of every screen, allowing them to continue to work while she relayed her message.

"Today we will be hosting the games, and I know that all of you are extremely excited about them so I will keep my message brief. The shooting range and the fight arena will open first, and once those two are concluded 'Last Man Standing' will begin. Now I want all of you to remember the most important rule of these games: stay safe. These games are highly dangerous, dealing with powerful weaponry and combat, and I don't want anyone getting seriously hurt." Jane paused as she stared at the camera, furrowing her brows in concern. She knew that at every game there were always minor injuries, especially in hand to hand combat, but so far they had experienced a rather good streak of healthy games without any major injuries. Jane held her hands on her hips as she continued.

"Now I'm going to tell you the rest of the rules, so listen up. Show respect to the challengers. I will not allow cheating on this ship. At the shooting range your goal is to maneuver through the obstacle course and hit all of the targets, you will be scored on accuracy and speed so shoot straight and try not to rush.

"In the arena the hand to hand combat should be kept _clean._ No biting or scratching or breaking bones, and you have to be barefoot. Your goal is to knock your opponent off their feet and keep them on the ground for ten seconds. Any style of fighting is fair game, but I don't want concussions or any serious injuries so play nice.

"And lastly, but certainly not least, is Last Man Standing, which I know is the most anticipated game of the day. This game is a combination of the two other games; where your shooting and fighting skills will be put to the test as you maneuver through the maze and eliminate your competition. Your weapons will be set to _stun_. If you are stunned or you are on your back for over ten seconds you will be eliminated from the game.

"Not that you need any more incentive, but there are prizes given to the winners of each game. Ten thousand tokens to each winner, second and third places will also receive some money." She paused as a smirk filled her expression. "Oh, and if you beat any of the top records you will receive an added ten thousand tokens, and then I will personally destroy your record the next time I play." Jane winked into the camera as she heard chuckles across the control room. She quickly became serious again as she finished her messages.

"For those of you not participating, you can find a live stream of every game broadcasted throughout the ship, or you can go into the arenas and to watch in person. Alright, now that everything has been explained, now is the moment you have all been waiting for." Jane smiled brightly, "Let the games begin!" She waved her hand to the right and cut off her live stream as the sound of cheering reverberated throughout the entire ship.

Jane continued to smile as her crew clapped and cheered below her, though the applause quickly ended as they continued to work. Several of them brought up the live feed and the games began to be broadcast on the corners of their screen, though most of their attention was left to their controls as they continued to work. She didn't mind letting her crew multitask, she knew that the games offered a relief to their work centered life. As long as the ship was able to function and run smoothly she liked to see her crew happy.

She turned to look behind her as she saw the commander leaning against the wall, staring out at the crew with a bemused expression on his face. She thought back to the conversation they had while eating lunch, about how strange it was that while the universe is on the brink of collapse they could do nothing about it until they reached their destination. The games offered a great distraction from the oppressing secret they shared. Once he caught her eye she waved him over to her side.

Jane turned back to face her crew as she waved her hand in the air and brought up her screens. On one of her screens she brought up the live feed of the shooting range and on the other she brought up the arena as the commander stepped to her side. She watched the feed for the shooting range as the first contestant stepped into the starting room. The contestant was a tall human, wearing a green uniform shirt and his long brown hair was braided down his back. He stood in the center of a small room, a door directly in front of him. A gun sat on a small table to his right, which he quickly picked up and held loosely in his hand. A timer on the door ran down as the first contestant of the day slowly breathed in and out.

"That's Adam," Jane said to the commander who was now standing by her side, pointing at the screen. "He's one of the janitors, and he's an amazing shot." The commander nodded as he watched the screen.

The timer suddenly rang as the doors slid open and Adam swiftly stepped out of the room, holding his gun out in front of him. The camera then switched to another angle, revealing a long hallway, transparent screens hovering in the air broadcasting bright red targets. Adam swiftly aimed down his gun and shot the targets as he moved forwards, his aim pretty accurate as he hit all of the targets but he did not get any bullzeyes.

Jane thought back to the last time she had done the shooting range, setting the maximum record, which no one had been able to beat. She had hit every target dead center while sprinting, and as far as she could tell Adam wasn't going to even get close to beating her score. Though there were several very talented, fast, and accurate shooters on her ship not one of them had even gotten close to beating her record. It wasn't really fair to them, she supposed, as she had centuries of practice under her belt.

Once down the hallway Adam quickly turned to the right to reveal another long hallway with floating targets. He walked briskly forwards, clipping each target, a door to his left suddenly opening. He peered through to see three targets in the small room, he quickly shot them before turning back to hurry through the hallway.

She glanced over to the commander who was watching the live feed with interest, but he turned to look at her as he caught her gaze.

"Would you like to have a go at the shooting range?" Jane asked, curious as to what his score would be should he compete.

"No," he replied, glancing back at the screen.

"Pity. I suppose that I'd rather just watch in order to see the skills of my crew, but I have participated myself once or twice." Jane held her hands behind her back and shifted her position as she watched the screen, wondering how she could convince the commander to participate in at least one of the games. She desperately wanted to know what his skill sets were and whether or not he could handle himself with a gun or was a good fighter. She had no idea what would face them once they arrived at the Time Gate, and she'd like to know that the commander would be able to handle himself should something arise.

The hallway lead into a large open room on the screen as Adam stopped walking in order to accurately hit the targets. Large obstacles lay throughout the room, tall pillars, large boxes, waist high walls. Behind the obstacles were several floating targets that moved back and forth or up and down, a few of them moving from one corner of the room to the other. Adam stayed rooted to the spot as he aimed down his gun and accurately hit each target before moving forwards, walking around each obstacle carefully as more targets popped out in front of him. Once he was finally out of the room he sped up once more down the hallway that lead to the finish line, the screens flying rapidly back and forth. He hurried down the long walkway, his accuracy less than perfect as the targets quickly moved through the hallway.

"Who holds the record?" The commander asked suddenly, motioning towards the screen as Adam crossed the finish line at a time of a minute and fourteen seconds, a total score of 6, 784 points.

"Let's see," Jane said, knowing the answer, as she pulled up another screen and dug up the records of the shooting range. Finally a long list was shown of all of the participants who had tried the shooting range, so she quickly scrolled to the very top:

**Name Time Score**

Captain 0:26 10,000

Zach 0:51 7,750

Susan 0:52 6,760

Kevin 0:54 6,330

James 0:59 5,870

Jane peered at the commander to see his reaction.

A bemused expression crossed his face as he saw the top score, a smile split his lips as he turned to Jane. "Impressive," he stated, "it appears as though you cheated."

Jane scoffed in denial, "I don't tolerate cheating on my ship."

He raised an eyebrow. "How do you explain your perfect score, or the fact that your time is twice as fast as the next competitor? It simply isn't possible to achieve without cheating."

Jane laughed, completely agreeing with his statement. She was impossible.

"Here, let me show you," she said as she tapped on her time and brought up the video of her achievement. The commander crossed his arms as he began to watch the video.

On the screen Jane saw herself standing in the starting room, picking up the gun that rested on the table to the side as the timer above the door counted down. On the recording she bounced up and down on the balls of her feet, the gun hanging loosely in her hand. The timer suddenly ran down and she bolted out the door. By the time the camera switched to the other screen the targets had almost all been hit, the last one disappearing as she sprinted down the hallway and took the turn sharply. She hit several of the targets in the next hallway before glancing into the open room to her left and hitting those targets, hardly breaking her stride.

She entered the wide room and instead of stopping to carefully aim at the targets that popped out from behind the obstacles and moving all over the place, she continued to run. Her arm swung wildly all around her, hitting each target dead on. She cut a diagonal course towards the exit, leaping over a small wall and hardly breaking stride as she continued to shoot the targets. She dashed into the last hallway, where the targets swiftly moved all around. Again, instead of slowing her pace to aim for the moving targets, she streamed headlong down the hallway, hitting every target as she sprinted forwards. Once she reached the end she dove into the finish line and tightly rolled until she rested on her knee breathing heavily, her time of twentysix seconds flashing across the screen.

The video turned black as Jane turned to the commander to see his reaction. A look of surprise was on his face, his eyebrows raised, but he soon composed himself and pursed his lips. His eyes flicked over to Jane, and she could see a faint glimmer of respect in his expression.

"Impressive," he finally spoke, clamping his mouth shut tight afterwards.

Jane smiled widely from the compliment and turned to look at her screens. She was glad that she had impressed the commander, perhaps now he would let her actually help him once they reached the Time Gate. Another contestant was hurrying through the shooting range, missing a few targets and progressing slower than the speed Adam had set before. Disinterested, she looked at her other screen, the one capturing the arena. Two contestants faced each other, standing barefoot on a wide blue mat, the camera hovering around to focus in on one of the contestants. His skin was completely black, and he would appear to be a human if not for his blood red eyes. He crouched forwards, his eyes focusing in on his opponent, his mouth slightly opening to reveal pointed teeth. He was extremely tall and as he flexed his muscles rippled beneath his brown uniform shirt.

"That's Justin," Jane clarified as she pointed at the screen, the commander switching from watching the shooting range to look at the arena. "He's one of our security and his fighting abilities are amazing. He's probably going to get far."

The camera then panned over to his opponent, a large hangar worker as defined by his bright orange shirt. He was huge, his chest as thick as a barrell, his arms extending all the way to his knees. He was a Raychan, a sturdy humanoid with a huge upper body and short, stocky legs, his skin a bright blue color. His huge fingers clenched and unclenched as he circled his taller opponent, their eyes locked.

"That's Billy," Jane said, nodding towards the screen. "I don't think he participated in the last games. It'll be interesting to see his fighting style."

Suddenly the fight began as the black humanoid lunged towards the short Raychan, planning on knocking him to the floor. Billy swung his long blue arm and knocked the security guard away, taking a few short steps back. Justin quickly turned and lunged again, towering over the short hangar worker. Again a huge arm swung forwards, but Justin anticipated the attack and swiftly dodged it, swinging his own fist in retribution. Billy took the blow full on in the face and rocked backwards, his top heavy body threatening to topple over. The tall security guard continued in his forwards momentum, shoving the blue Raychan to the floor. With a loud thud Billy fell onto the mat, his lumbering figure unable to balance himself.

Jane was disappointed, it was going to be a short match. She continued to watch as Justin leapt on top of his opponent, pinning the long blue arms to Billy's sides as the ten second began to count down. Billy's short legs floundered wildly in the air, Justin altering his position so that the stocky legs would not be able to reach him as he straddled the Raychan. The ten seconds counted down, until the buzzer sounded and Justin was declared the winner. He jumped off of his opponent and held his hands into the air, his red eyes looking content all around him as his smile revealed his sharp teeth.

"That was surprisingly quick." The commander stated, his hands remaining crossed over his arms.

"Our security guards are normally the best fighters, and normally the winner is one of them in their brown shirts." Jane explained, "though our hangar workers sometimes provide quite a few good fighters, as their job requires a lot of muscle lifting all of the heavy supplies."

The commander nodded, "the hangar workers are strong but they lack the speed, agility, and fighting background that the security guards have."

Jane nodded as well, surprised at how scientific his deduction sounded. The theory of him being one of the scientists for the Time Gate even further cemented in her mind. Glancing to the other screen, her eyes caught sight of the next contestant.

"Oh, watch this one," she said, pointing towards the screen. "That's Zach, he has the second highest score and I expect him to increase his score today."

The commander humphed. "Not like it matters much, your score completely blew him out of the water."

"Their scores always matter to me," she retaliated, "when their score goes up, even just a little bit, it shows me that they want to perform better and do their best. I couldn't be happier when I see them improve."

The commander pursed his lips, not wanting to respond as he focused on the screen.

Zach stood in the starting room, a thin film covering his completely black eyes before opening again as he blinked. His mouth was a vertical slant in the center of his face, his jaw extending to a point. He had no ears or a nose and from the top of his head extended short, pointy needles. His skin was a florescent yellow as he stood completely still, his body very slim and small, his pink shirt dwarfing his slender shoulders.

"A technician?" The commander asked dubiously, referring to the color of Zach's uniform as he changed the subject.

"Hmm, yes. And a very talented one as well, there's no mechanical problem that he can't fix," Jane said with pride.

"I didn't know that you trained your technicians to be good shots." He replied sardonically.

The timer blared as Zach bolted from the room, swiftly shooting the targets and racing down the hallway.

"We only train the security to be good weapon handlers," Jane responded, her eyes not leaving the screen, "but it doesn't mean that the talent can't be found elsewhere on the ship. Anyone can play the games, which gives me a great opportunity for me to learn of the hidden talent to be found among my crew."

Zach rushed through the next hallway, not forgetting the small room to the side with the three targets, and progressed swiftly into the next area. He continued to press forwards as he shot the targets in the wide room, moving rather quickly, his aim accurately hitting each target.

"Are these the only games you have?" He asked.

"No, but these are the only ones that happen as a large event. Several of are smaller games can be played at any time, the scores are always recorded so you can go see where you stand. They are mainly one versus one and brain games, though the shooting range and arena are always open for practice."

The contestant on the screen quickly passed into the last section and hurried down the hallway, quickly firing shots at the moving targets. His small body almost looked comical as he raced forwards, his black eyes quickly glancing at each target before shooting. Though he was an excellent shot he didn't appear to be very intimidating, especially in his pink shirt. He finally crossed the finish line, the time of 0:46 flashing across the screen, a new record for him. His points read 7, 340, lower than his previous score- mainly due to the fact that he wasn't able to aim as accurately while he rushed through the course.

"Pity. He's still twenty seconds shy of beating your record." The commander stated, a sly smile crossing his lips.

Jane laughed out loud, drawing some attention from the crew members below. A few of them turned in their seats to glance up at her before quickly looking away and working once more, the corner of their screens broadcasting the games. Embarrassed by her outburst, Jane quickly glanced all around her to see who was watching her. Her crew had all turned back in their seats to return to work, but behind her she saw Triss staring daggers into her back. After being caught staring, the reptilian woman turned in her seat to bow over her e-book that rested against her desk.

Her glare confused Jane, was her second in command jealous? Triss didn't like the games and thought them as a waste of time, so she shouldn't be jealous that she was watching them. Jane glanced at the commander, who was staring at the arena screen with interest. She realized that her second in command must be jealous that her captain was spending so much time with this stranger, giving him her full attention, allowing him on the bridge to watch videos after she caught them eating lunch together...

She hoped that the petty jealousy would soon go away. The reason why she was spending so much time with the commander was because she wanted to get to know him better, and let him get to know her as well. They shared a terrible secret, one that could not be passed to anyone else, and were both burdened with the responsibility of somehow saving the entire universe. She felt comfortable in his presence because of their shared secrets, and, she must admit, she was slightly attracted to him. She warmly looked him over as he stood by her side, his crossed arms revealing his muscled biceps, his dark hair contrasting against his pale skin. His handsome face was staring intently at the screen as two more contestants circled each other, his aquamarine eyes following their movements. Suddenly his eyes flicked over to Jane, catching her staring at him.

Jane smiled shyly as she returned his gaze, hoping that he did not realize how admiringly she was staring at him.

"Would you like to watch the fights live? Its much more exciting, and I can promise you good seats," she offered.

His eyebrow raised as he considered her offer. "Are you not needed on the bridge?" He asked, glancing over to the Treshiss hovering over her e-book.

Jane followed his gaze and saw her second in command sitting tensely in her chair, probably feeling the stares on her back. "No, Triss can handle things while I'm away." Jane replied cheerily, looking back at the commander. "I'm not really needed anyways, my crew is basically able to function on its own."

"A ship that's able to run without its captain. I'm not certain if I should be impressed or worried." He replied sardonically, his eyes baring into hers.

"Both feelings are rather accurate," Jane responded with a smile. "Let's go watch the fights," she said, changing the subject as she waved away the screens. She stepped past him to lead him off the bridge and into the elevator.


	8. 08 The Fights

The doors slid shut behind them as Jane pressed the button for one of the lower levels where the arena was located. They quickly lowered, the doors sliding open once more to reveal a level with a high ceiling, a low rumble to be heard down the hallway. The area was teeming with life as dozens of crew members walked past, their different colored shirts blending together.

Jane began walking forwards, pointing to a hall branching off to the left as they passed by. "Down there is where the shooting range is located, though it's a closed course and the only way to watch it is on your screens."

They continued on, the crew members they passed quickly snapping to attention before proceeding. Dozens of transparent screens floated in the hallway as the crew members huddled around them passing bets and talking as they watched the games.

"I'm surprised at how many of your crew are involved in the games," the commander said as they progressed down the corridor towards the rumbling noise.

"I hate to admit it but it's a rather great opportunity for them to gamble, though I don't admire it of course. There's a lot of betting going on for each round, and then even more wages set for the overall winner."

A few more crew members snapped to attention as they stepped past, and Jane couldn't help but to notice their stares on the commander. Few of them had seen him before, and it would be a shock to suddenly realize that they had two captains. The noise at the end of the hall grew louder and louder as they progressed, and the sound of shouting voices and cheers could be heard.

"How do you become the overall winner? Are the fights set up like a tournament?" The commander asked, his hair bouncing slightly as his long legs carried him down the hall.

"No, its not really organized at all. If you want to fight you step into the ring, if you win, you fight the next round, and so on. Whoever lasts the longest wins. If there's a tie at the end, say both contestants each won ten rounds in a row, they fight each other to see who is the winner."

"Is there a time limit?" He asked, ignoring the crew members who were mingling around an open doorway that snapped to attention as they passed.

"Sort of. They tend to make the fights go rather quickly, so once the crowd gets bored of the fight they stop it and the winner is chosen by their level of skill, though the results are rather jaded. Most of the time the fights end on their own with a determinable winner."

"Have you ever participated?" Jane caught him glancing over at her, sizing her up and determining if she were fit enough to win a fight.

"Not for a long time." She responded honestly. It simply wouldn't be fair for her to compete, she would win every round and she wouldn't be able to see any new talent as the other contestants would all be too scared to face her.

The noise grew even louder as they approached large double doors at the end of the hallway, the walls extending high above their heads. Jane smiled at her companion as they paused in front of the doors to the arena. "Shall we?"

The commander nodded, excitement hidden beneath his stoic features. Jane stepped forwards, the commander falling in step as the doors automatically slid open to reveal a wide square stadium, the ceiling arching high overhead. Tiers of seats encircled the entire area, the area completely packed as the multicolored blur of crew members shouted and cheered at the fighting going on below. They stepped forwards, for once unnoticed by the crew. The walkway in front of them lowered until it reached the center of the arena below them, a giant blue mat taking up the center, the two fighters punching and kicking each other on the mat as they tried to wrestle each other to the ground.

Surrounding the fighting area was a low wall, behind which stood several more contestants who watched the fight with stoic expressions. Jane walked down the walkway as a few crew members nearby snapped to attention, she nodded at them briskly as she continued towards the center. The commander walked besides her, his gaze roaming the large area and noisy crowd.

"Do you know the names of all of these people?" He asked with amazement as his eyes skimmed over the packed rows of people.

"Yep," Jane replied smugly, "obviously this isn't everyone, as several of my crew are still at their stations, though this is a majority of the ones on their breaks."

He remained silent as he looked around him with awe as she lead him directly towards the open mat. The other contestants snapped to attention as she neared so she quickly waved them away so that they could return to watching the fight and stepped towards the low wall in order for them to get a good position to see the fight directly in front of them.

The same security guard from before was in the ring, his black skin shining with sweat as his red eyes glared at his opponent. He had done really well, just as Jane had predicted, she figured that he must already be on his fifth contestant. they were standing apart, both breathing heavily from a struggle that neither one of them had gotten the upper hand in. Across from Justin was a small alien woman, her scales a dark green color. Her face was pointed angularly forwards, her nose two slits and her eyes yellow with vertical slashed pupils. Her lips were drawn back in a snarl, revealing her large, pointed teeth as she circled the tall security guard, her limbs jutting sharply from her body, her long claw-like nails extending from her fingers. Her knees bent backwards and her bare feet revealed scaly toes with nails sharpened to points, an extra appendage extending beyond her heels like a thumb.

"Another security guard," the commander stated, nodding towards the reptilian woman's brown shirt.

"Sylvia is quite the fighter, I have a feeling that she might win this round." Jane commented. The commander remained silent and pursed his lips.

A small camera hovered above the area, staying well enough away from the fighters to not get hit but close enough to catch all of the action.

Justin continued to circle, going for the more defensive approach in order to reserve his energy. Sylvia jutted out her thin, forked tongue from between her dagger like teeth, testing the air. Suddenly she leapt forwards, Justin anticipating her attack and stepping to the side, holding his hands above his head. In mid air Sylvia twisted her body, sending her feet out to the side to catch Justin as he tried to step aside, her long toes digging into his shoulder as she fell to the ground, dragging him with her. A loud gasp of shock emanated throughout the arena as shouting rained down on the fighters. Justin shouted in pain as he wrenched her feet away from his shoulder, the long nails of her toes drawing blood as he turned over to his hands and knees.

Sylvia jumped on his back, trying to force him down once more but he easily accepted her weight and stood up as her arms wrapped around his neck, choking him. Jane was disturbed, the fights were supposed to stay clean without blood or any life threatening injuries, but so far Sylvia was disobeying both of her rules.

Justin wrenched at her scaly wrists as the crowd's shouting escalated, until suddenly he jumped into the air to fall onto his back. At the last possible moment, before his body hit the floor and crushed the reptilian woman beneath him, Sylvia twisted her body out from underneath him so that he landed with a thud on his own back. One of her legs quickly stretched over him to pin down an arm as she began pummeling his face with her bony fists. He squirmed beneath her, her feet pressing against his arms as he tried to wrestle her off; blood was being drawn over his arms as claws continued to dig into his flesh. She was in an optimal position: he was unable to get his arms up to push her off of him and no matter how he squirmed she would be able to keep him down, not to mention the fact that he was obviously winded from the fall. Yet, even though Sylvia had basically won, she continued to hit him, the screaming in the crowd elevating into a deafening roar until finally the ten seconds were up and a loud buzzer rang through the air.

Sylvia stopped pummeling him as she heard the buzzer ring, then slowly stood and stepped off of his bloodied arms as there was a mix of cheering and booing from the stands. Jane was displeased with the display of violence, Sylvia shouldn't have been able to use her claws to draw blood. The hand to hand fighting was supposed to be more of a test of skill, much like wrestling, and shouldn't involve too much damage, but Sylvia had purposefully made Justin feel pain from her claws and unneeded pummeling as she held him down.

Justin sat up, his arms and shoulder dripping blood as his red eyes blinked rapidly, the right one swelling terribly, his nose probably broken. A few medical doctors in their completely black uniforms leapt into the ring over the small wall towards the large security officer and helped him to his feet, leading him towards one of the exits towards the med center that was also on this level.

Jane glanced at Sylvia who was standing smugly in the center of the ring, her bloodied toes curling on the mat as a few green shirted janitors cleaned up drops of blood. She didn't want to see her advance through the fights and risk further injuries to her crew, especially if she would be going to use her claws and needlessly cause more damage when she didn't need to.

"Was that allowed?" The commander asked as he looked concerned towards Justin who was being led to the exit by the two medical officers.

Jane clenched her jaw. "Unfortunately, yes. I might claim to set the rules, but in all reality I can't do anything unless I want a mutiny on my hands. Everything is fair game in the fights, if they win the fight, no matter the cost, they get to proceed."

He turned to look at her, his eyes showing indignation. "And you offer no punishment?"

"Only if the damages are severe enough to keep them from doing their job. He'll be able to return to his job shortly, it might have looked like a lot of blood but the scratches weren't too deep, though I must admit that they were entirely uncalled for." Jane glanced back into the fighting area as Sylvia stared at the contestants lined up around the walls, her yellow eyes daring someone to face her. If Jane didn't want any of her crew facing against the reptilian and she had no power over the course of the games, she had only one choice.

With a smooth movement Jane vaulted over the low wall and stepped onto the mat before any of the other contestants had a chance. The crowd immediately quieted as they saw their captain step into the ring, even Sylvia snapped to attention. Jane smiled as she bent down to remove her boots, slowly sliding each one off as she felt the stares of the entire room on her. She stood, holding her boots and turned to look back at the commander. He was staring at her in shock, disbelief on his face.

"Catch." Jane said as she tossed her boots towards him. He quickly caught them but continued to stare at her, completely confused. Jane turned back to Sylvia and bounced on the balls of her feet, feeling the padded yet firm material beneath her. The room was deathly silent as they watched her, which made her feel slightly self conscious. She tried to think back to the last time she had stepped into the fighting arena, and had to admit that it had been a while. Several of her crew had never seen her fight before so this was something entirely new for them.

"Well?" Jane asked, peering out at the many faces that looked down at her, seeing the camera pointed towards her from the corner of her eye. She brought her hands into fists and held them in front of her face. "Let's fight!" She shouted as the room erupted into applause and cheering.

Sylvia looked at her with indecision, not wanting to hurt her captain but unable to back down. If any of her crew had seen her fight before, they would know that Sylvia didn't stand a chance. No one stands a chance against me, Jane thought to herself with a smile. She knew that she would be able to defeat any member of her crew in a heartbeat, and even now she was considering immediately knocking out her opponent or playing to the crowd for a while and making it appear to be more even. She also didn't have to worry about being hurt, she would certainly feel the pain, but being able to automatically heal herself had many benefits, which was something that came with her immortality.

Finally Sylvia crouched and clenched her hands into fists, though she held her arms tensely at her sides, unlike Jane who kept them close to her face. The reptilian woman appeared like a spring all coiled up, her knees bending far backwards as she tilted towards her. Jane bounced lightly on her feet, rolling her shoulders and keeping her eyes on her opponent, waiting for her to make the first move.

Suddenly Sylvia leapt forwards, her claws extended towards Jane to tackle her and Jane could hear the panicked gasp resound throughout the crowd. Jane quickly leapt backwards and did a backflip in the air, her knee connecting firmly to Sylvia's jaw as she tried to grab her. Jane landed lightly on her feet, feeling the bruise form on her knee where she connected with her opponent's jaw and watched as Sylvia collapsed onto the floor in a heap. Jane heard wild cheers throughout all of the crowd and she considered ending the fight then and there by tackling her opponent and holding her to the ground, but instead decided to wait as she watched Sylvia stand up, her opponent's knees shaking as she stared at dazed expression.

Sylvia shook her head to clear it, her lips pulled back into a snarl as her tongue darted out from between her sharp teeth. She clenched her fists and began to circle Jane, so Jane decided to go on the offensive. She ran forwards, seeing a scaly fist fly towards her face as she neared so she quickly dodged and sent a few jabs into the security guard's side before dodging another punch. One of Sylvia's legs flew up in attempt to kick her in the face, so with a smooth movement Jane grasped her foot and flung it upwards while stepping to the side and swinging her opponent through the air, making her do a backflip of her own as she landed heavily on her back. Jane stepped away once more, letting the fight continue though she could have ended it there as well.

Sylvia rolled over to get her feet under her, glaring up at Jane as she crouched on the floor. Her muscles tensed and Jane could see that the reptilian woman was going to leap once more. She prepared herself for the inevitable attack by staying loose and continuing to bounce against the mat. She knew that from the audiences' view she had no way of avoiding this next attack, she was much too close and could hear the crowd quiet in anticipation.

Finally Sylvia leapt forwards and flew the short distance in the air to Jane, her claws extended and her mouth open, ready to bite. At first Jane had considered allowing Sylvia actually get her this time, as she had yet to land a punch, but as soon as she saw the claws and the gaping mouth she changed her mind. With a quick movement she kicked forwards, catching the security guard in the side and sending her towards the floor, following her movement by wrapping her other leg around her body as they both fell, she twisted and knocked Sylvias hands away so that when they landed Sylvia's head was the first thing that hit, the rest of her body following, Jane's legs wrapped around her stomach and pinning Sylvia's hands beneath her torso. She was now completely pinned, her legs twisted beneath her as Jane held her down, the crowd roaring their approval as the ten seconds clicked down, Sylvia squirming the entire time.

Finally the buzzer sounded and Jane disentangled herself from her opponent and stood, then offered her hand to her crew member. Sylvia glared up at Jane with frustration, but Jane could also see that there was now respect in her eyes as she accepted her hand and allowed her captain to pull her up. The crowd was absolutely roaring at the quick fight, amazed at their captain's skills.

"Thanks for the fight, Sylvia. Good work." Jane complimented as she patted her on her back.

Sylvia glanced at the captain, her tongue darting out from her mouth. She nodded in response and then walked away, leaping over the low wall as the other contestants gave her a wide berth.

Now all alone on the center mat, Jane examined the contestants that were lined around the low wall, her eyes resting the commander as he stood out from the rest of the group with his blue captain's shirt. He stared back at her, his turquoise eyes showing respect and admiration for her fighting skills. Jane decided that since he was able to see her moves, it was time to see how talented he was.

"Commander, would you like to face me?" She dared, her voice silencing the stadium as everyone heard her request.


	9. 09 In the Ring

Damian stared at the captain in shock as he felt the eyes of everyone in the stadium suddenly focus in on him. He began to wonder how he had gotten himself into this predicament:

He had initially wondered why the captain had led him to the front of the arena next to a bunch of large and muscular crew members to watch the fight. He had quickly assumed that they were the contestants for the fighting, and though he found it odd that the captain decided to go into the same area as them, he merely supposed that she just wanted get right up to the action in order to get a good view. He never expected that her reasoning behind getting right to the front was to participate herself.

The fight they watched was brutal, the lizard lady mercilessly destroying the tall security guard. Once the round was over and the loser was escorted out of the arena, he began to worry about the next contestant who would have to face the razor sharp teeth and long claws. The captain had mentioned that whoever wanted to fight just had to step into the ring, and when he had examined the faces of the other contestants as they stared at the blood being cleared from the mat, he doubted that any of them would willingly be the next challenger. He was completely caught off guard when the captain herself had leapt into the ring to fight the winner, despite the sight of fresh blood still covering the claws of the winner's scaly toes. He was terrified for the safety of the captain, wondering why she would risk her health when they had such an important task at hand, though of course she had no idea if she would have a bigger role in saving the universe other than transporting him to the Time Gate.

He had watched nervously as the captain fought her dangerous opponent, her movements precise and controlled, her posture relaxed. She hadn't even been hit once as she dodged attacks and knocked the lizard lady to the ground three times before pinning her for the required ten seconds. The fight was astounding; he had expected her to be destroyed but instead she had seamlessly won without hardly even breaking a sweat.

Now as he stared into the arena the captain wasn't even breathing hard; she stood with a hand on her hip as her blue eyes dared him to enter a ring with her, a wide smile splayed across her lips. Damian glanced away from her and looked at the crew members around him, who were all staring at him with expectant looks on their faces. He knew that when the captain asks you to do something, you do it. Though, he supposed that since she had given him the a captain's uniform, he could say no to her if he wanted to because everyone there assumed the two of them were of the same rank. If he said no the crew would realize that he had just as much power as she had, but at the same time, he was itching toward beating her at the fight.

Though he had just watched her easily defeat the last contestant, he knew that he had a good chance at beating her. He had never been beaten by a _girl_ before, not that he ever went out of his way to fight them, so he supposed that he wouldn't let today be any different. She didn't know anything about his fighting skills, so he already had a leg up on her because he just watched her fight and had learned a few things about her stance and the way she moved. She would be shocked to learn that he was highly trained in hand to hand combat after he successfully pinned her to the mat for ten seconds; he had never lost a fight and he wouldn't let the captain ruin his winning streak.

Damian returned her smile with one of his own as he reached down to pull off his boots, much to the applause of the crowd. They had never seen him before now and must all be curious as to who he was and why he was wearing a captain's uniform, the aspect of having two captains fighting each other must be really appealing to them based on the level of their noise. After removing his boots and placing them neatly next to the captain's tall boots, he vaulted himself over the small wall and walked onto the blue mat until he stopped directly in front of the captain, her eyes beaming her approval.

"Commander," she said with a smile.

"Captain," Damian responded coolly. He glanced around the arena as hundreds of crew members jostled around the risers, each of them anxious for the fight to begin. He hated being the center of attention, but the captain had given him no choice. He could pull rank on her and turn down the offer, but seeing as he was already in the center of the ring…

"Shall we fight?" she asked as the crowd screamed in excitement.

He didn't want to. He thought the games were a waste of time, especially considering what their true mission was. How could they spar and run the risk of hurting themselves when the entire fate of the universe rested in their hands?

The captain apparently had no issue with putting aside their ultimate goal as she balled her hands into fists and held them in front of her face.

Seeing no choice in the matter, Damian responded by taking his own fighting stance, one foot in front of the other, his fists held in defense. He knew she was a good fighter after watching her completely annihilate her last opponent. However, he knew he would be victorious. Losing was not an option, and there was no way that he would let the captain defeat her superior officer—though he did regret having to hit a woman. He decided to do the nice thing and give her a chance before he completely destroyed her.

Without warning the captain suddenly leapt in the air, her leg flying toward him in a powerful roundhouse kick. Damian jerked back and narrowly escaped her bare foot. He stumbled backwards, shocked by the abrupt move. The crowd's roar was deafening as they cheered on the violence.

Her feet barely regained contact with the ground before she lunged, jabbing her arm forward in a quick punch. He managed to knock her hand away before another one of her blows came out of nowhere. Her punches were lightning fast as she continued to assault him.

He did all he could to keep from getting hit as he was pushed backwards. She left no room for him to retaliate. Finally, he saw an opportunity. He brought his knee into her side and cut off her attacks. He swung a punch, but she ducked and turned, sweeping her feet under his legs. His feet flew into the air, and before he knew it he was lying on his back.

The high ceiling stretched before him. A thought went unbidden into his head as he wondered why the captain would find it necessary to devote so much space of her ship to a fighting arena. It was simply ridiculous—his mind returned to the present as he realized he was in a compromising position and unprotected. He prepared himself for an attack, waiting for her to make the first move. He couldn't believe that he had been knocked down so soon into the fight. Humiliation began to nag him, but he had no time for regret. From the corner of his eye, he saw the captain soaring through the air to pounce on him. He quickly kicked her to the side, wrapping his legs around her and twisting until he sat on top of her.

He scrambled to pin down her arms, but one of them escaped as her fist slammed against his cheek. Stunned, he blindly reached for her arms and held them above her head, trying to pin her down for the ten seconds. He blinked his eyes to clear them as his cheek smarted in pain. This was going to be easier than he thought. She hardly even struggled against him.

"That's probably going to leave a bruise." The captain sarcastically lamented from beneath him, her blue eyes sparkling in amusement.

He glared down at her and pinched her wrists tighter, adjusting his weight slightly as he pinned her legs to be certain that she wouldn't be able to escape him. He was slightly remiss that was going to be over so soon. The cacophony around them intensified as the crowd shouted their disapproval. Buoyed up by their cheers, she began sliding downwards. Confused, he leaned his weight forward, knowing that only a few seconds remained before he won.

Her legs suddenly lurched into the air to wrap around his torso; freed when he had leaned forward. She pushed him with her legs, successfully jerking him off of herself. The shouting intensified within the arena, the crowd ecstatic at the sight of their captain's dexterity. He cursed himself for his stupidity as he rolled over and quickly leapt to his feet, just as the captain jumped to hers.

He took the offensive, his pride hurting. He let his body take over as he aimed practiced punches even the most advanced fighters couldn't block. To his dismay, her arms flew swiftly and, somehow, she deflected every shot. He moved extraordinarily fast, amazed to find that the captain kept up with him and anticipated every attack, knocking them to the side as she tried to hit him with a few of her own.

They continued their sparring, neither side landing a punch. Damian began to believe that he had met his match. He had never combated against anyone who could be considered his equal. While he enjoyed the challenge, he was anxious to get it over with and defeat her.

Taking a different tactic, he unclenched one fist and sent a sideways blow to her shoulder, but she suddenly grabbed his wrist with both hands and lurched past him, wrenching his arm behind him. His arm seared in pain, and he blindly stomped down onto her bare foot in retribution. She released her grasp and pushed him off of her. He stumbled forward and shook out his arm. It was sore and tight, but it hadn't been sprained.

He turned, keeping his attention on his opponent as she began circling him, her right leg noticeably limping. Damian bounced on the balls of his feet to mock her injury and he rolled his shoulders back, preparing to attack. She narrowed her eyes at him, keeping a safe distance away. The crowd began to quiet, the room taking in a breath of anticipation as the two fighters circled the mat.

He felt guilty for hurting her, but even more pleased that he had gotten the better of her after his embarrassing fall. "Do you need to sit down?" Damian teased when she carefully put her weight on her right foot.

She halted and cocked her head to the side. "Are you tired?" she sneered, the corner of her lips pulled upwards.

Damian clenched his jaw in response, determined to wipe the smug smile off her face. Without warning she shot toward him, but just as she neared him he swung a kick at her. With breakneck speed her hands shot up and grabbed his leg mid-spin. Using his momentum against him, she flung his leg to the side, twirling him through the air.

He landed on his forearms. He couldn't believe that he had been knocked down _again_. His temper rising, he rolled as he hit the mat, determined to get back to his feet as soon as possible, but he didn't expect her to attack so soon. He saw her somersault through the air, one leg extended, and realized that _this is going to hurt_. Pain exploded in his stomach as her heel sank into his gut.

Stars flashed and his vision blurred. The screams of the crowd echoed the air whooshing from his lungs. Though completely winded, he grabbed her leg and wrenched it off of him, faintly recognizing that it was her right leg. _She had faked her injury_. Infuriated, rolled onto his hands and knees. He knew he needed to get back to his feet, but he couldn't seem to get any air into his lungs. He wondered for a moment how he could possibly be losing—no one had ever beaten him in a fighting match before.

All at once, agony soared through him as he rocked onto his back from the captain's tackle, his strained arm crushed beneath their combined weight. Thinking became painful as her legs wrapped around his and his other arm was pinned between them. He was now completely unable to move. To add further insult to injury, her hand pressed down on his face to keep him from looking around.

_I'm going to lose_, he realized with a shock. He felt humiliated. His mind shouted at the impossibility of the situation. A mere captain—a _woman_, capable of defeating him? He thought adamantly against it. She might have been well trained, but _no one_ was a match for him.

He wrenched his pinned arm upwards. She flew back, barely managing to keep her legs entwined with his own. He sat up, freeing his arm that had been immobilized beneath him and dug his fingers into her shoulders. He threw her to the side and rolled his heavier weight on top of her.

One of her hands flew up to his face, but he anticipated the attack this time and caught her wrist and slammed it to the mat; completely immobilizing it. Her left arm came swinging up, but he easily grabbed that arm and wrenched it above her head in an iron grip. She squirmed, her eyes widening as she realized her situation. Damian finally took the moment to suck in greedy breaths of air. A victorious grin spread across his features as her movements became more desperate; their roles reversed.

His grip tightened around her wrists as the seconds ticked by. Suddenly, she stopped moving. He peered at her quizzically, wondering if the buzzer had sounded. The crowd booed and hissed, though a few supportive cheers could be picked out from the deafening roar. He knew he wasn't their favorite; he didn't belong on their ship. _She_ was their captain—he was just some stranger, a nameless authority.

She began to smile up at him. He was utterly confused—even though she was going to lose, her face was bright and exultant. For a brief moment, he couldn't help but to be enamored by her smile, though it was off-putting.

Unexpectedly she lifted her head upwards, closing the small distance between the two of them as her lips planted firmly against his mouth. His eyes opened wide with shock… _was she kissing him_?

He jerked backwards and loosened his grip on her wrists, completely forgetting the reason why he was pinning her to the floor. His lips were still tingling as she slid out from beneath him and disappeared behind him. An unseen kick bashed into his temple; it felt as though he had been hit by a battering ram. He fell to his side, completely dazed.

The captain jumped on him, knocking him onto his stomach. She wrenched both of his arms behind his back, her knees painfully digging into the back of his thighs. His thoughts were blurred, his ears ringing as a fire raged in his head from her powerful kick.

The screams were deafening as the crowd cheered on their captain. He weakly squirmed beneath her, but couldn't free his arms or legs from her tight grasp. The predominant thought running through his mind was focused on whether or not he had just been _kissed_ by the captain. A massive buzzing emanated around him, either from his thundering headache, or it from the signal that announced the round was over.

The buzzing began to subside, but herds of elephants continued to race through his head. He realized that the round was over as the buzzing could only mean one thing. _He lost._

"That was fun." The captain said cheerily, her voice almost lost in the ecstatic cheers of the crowd.

He wondered if she referred to the fight or to the kiss, unsure whether or not he felt the same. It certainly was… memorable, though his emotions were conflicted. The pressure on his back was released as she stepped off of him. Damian remained where he was, frozen in place. Reality dawned on him. He had been cheated—disarmed by a kiss!

He reasoned that lying in defeat was doing nothing good for him, but finding the effort to move was difficult. He slowly rolled onto his back, his head spinning as the sounds of applause reverberated through the air. Stars zoomed all around as a double image of the captain's silhouette towered over him. She extended a hand.

He shakily accepted her firm grasp and she pulled him to his feet, his head reeling from all of the noise and confusion, his lips still tingling. As he peered around him at the large stadium, completely packed with the crew members of the ship, he realized with a start that they had all seen it. They had all watched him be kissed by the captain, and then beaten. He was mortified when he saw the camera zoom out to hover in front of him, realizing that the entire fight had been recorded and broadcasted throughout the entire ship.

He turned to look at the captain, who was staring at him with a concerned look on her face. She extended her hand towards his head, her expression empathetic as she lightly touched his temple with her slender fingers, bringing her hand back to reveal bright red blood glistening on the tips of her fingers.

"I made you bleed, I'm sorry," she apologized.

Damian was still incredibly embarrassed by the entire event and stepped back from the captain, not wanting to appear weak. "I'm fine," he stated, a bit of harshness in his tone.

She peered at him expectantly until a smile slowly began to form on her lips. "Me too" she said, sending him a wink.

He stared at her blankly, completely confused. Was she flirting with him? She kisses him and then bashes his head in with her foot, the mixed signals he had received couldn't have been more confusing.

Damian humphed in response and turned away from her to head back to the low wall and the other contestants, cheering and applause reverberating throughout the large stadium. The eyes of the other contestants followed him as he approached the small wall. His head was pounding from every step he took as he walked away, but he managed to lift himself over the wall with some sort of dignity.

A medical officer approached him, holding a bright red med kit. Though he wanted desperately to just wave the black clad officer away, he knew that his injury had to be looked at. He couldn't believe how strong she was, he even began to wonder if she had cracked his skull with her heel based on the pain he was in.

He glanced back at the captain, who stood in the center of the mat daring the next contestant to step forwards with her piercing blue eyes. He realized that she would be fighting again until eventually she was defeated. He wanted to stay and watch the next fight, but he figured that he could watch it on one of the transparent screens while his injury was looked at.

He bent over to pick up his boots, fireworks exploding in his head from the movement. He clenched his jaw as he crouched down to pull them on, every movement making his head scream in pain. Once he pulled them both on he followed the medical officer back up the long walkway, the crew member's eyes following his slow passage, their expressions filled with respect. He wondered if they respected him for his fighting skills, as he certainly could have beaten her if she hadn't pulled her little trick on him. Then again, they might just all be in awe that they watched their captain actually kiss someone, unless she did that often. Something about the way she had looked at him made him throw away that assumption, he doubted that she went around kissing her crew and she had never mentioned having a significant other in her life.

The medical officer led him out of the arena; he was just a regular human, short in height and sleight in build but walked rather rapidly, making Damian's head spin as he tried to keep up. Once in the hallway the crew members milling about clapped and cheered as he excited, which he thought was strange as he had obviously lost. They continued down the hallway, taking a sharp corner and heading into a quieter section of the level until they entered a sterile room with a single chair in the center, cabinets encircling the walls.


	10. 10 Worry

"Sit," the medic stated as he motioned towards the only chair in the room as if Damian couldn't figure out where to go.

He walked forwards and slowly sunk down into the seat, shutting his eyes firmly as his head spinned. She had really clocked him with that kick, he thought in dismay. His head was on fire and he wanted nothing more than to go to sleep. He clenched his fingers. He couldn't believe that he had lost, especially when his defeat was broadcasted throughout the entire ship. It was humiliating.

He listened as the medical officer began rummaging around a few drawers, remembering suddenly that he had wanted to watch the captain's next fight. He opened his eyes and looked around him for a camera and spied one directly in front of the door. He waved his hand to the right towards the camera and a transparent screen suddenly appeared in front of him. The medical officer said nothing as Damian clicked on the live feed for the arena and began to watch.

The captain stood in the center of the mat, confidently looking up towards the huge opponent approaching her, her head tilted back to compensate for his massive height. He was a massive beast, his skin tan and hard like the shell of a cockroach. The pinchers attached to his four mammoth sized arms opened and closed as his steps thundered towards her. He had no neck, his large head sitting squarely against his hefty shoulders, extensive feelers expanding out where the mouth was supposed to be. A pair of beady eyes that were sunk in the center of his face peered down at the captain as he approached, his heavy steps rocking the entire mat.

Damian's mouth dropped open as he saw the opponent the captain would be facing. He didn't recall seeing the Grog before, though he hadn't been particularly searching for the eight foot tall monster of a crew member. The Grog was wearing a purple shirt that defined him as being a maintenance worker, which is the most dangerous job on the ship as they are ones who have to deal with any explosions, leaks or other disasters that might happen on the ship. The Grog completely dwarfed the captain as he finally came to a stop in front of her, his chest at least three times the size of her, his massive four arms the size of small tree trunks.

He felt searing pain as the medical officer placed a sterile wipe against his temple so he jerked away, turning to glare at the man. The officer stared back impassively, holding the bloodied wipe up in front of him. He had short brown hair and he looked like a man who had to deal with a lot of of unruly behavior, his eyes sunken in and his lips taut.

"I've got to clean your wound." He said emotionlessly, moving his hand towards his temple again.

Damian nodded and anxiously turned back to the screen, upset by the interruption as he clenched his jaw. The medical officer began wiping the blood away, making his temple to feel like it was on fire.

On the screen the captain didn't even look perturbed as she stared up at her opponent, confidently assuming her fighting stance.

"The Grog shouldn't be allowed to fight, it's not fair." Damian complained, worrying about the safety of the captain. The captain would be completely demolished; there should be a rule against the giant Grog from participating in the games, or any maintenance personnel for that matter. The Grogs were built to last and could withstand almost anything, its pincers extremely powerful and able to squeeze the life out of anyone.

The medical officer glanced disinterestedly at the screen. "Anyone's allowed to fight," he stated before turning back to wipe at his wound.

Damian flinched from the contact. "The captain's going to get herself killed!"

The man shrugged. "Normally maintenance workers don't participate in the games, but I'm pretty certain they understand the rules because they love watching the fights."

Damian winced from his answer, not heartened in the least. He wondered why the Grog had chosen to fight, when apparently they normally don't participate, and began to worry if the Grog was using the fight as an excuse to seriously injure the captain. He watched in dismay as the fight began.

The Grog's four pincers suddenly flashed forwards, each of them moving in slightly different speeds and locations so that they would be impossible to dodge. The captain moved with lightning speed as she knocked away two of the arms and sidestepped two of the pincers, one of her legs flying up to kick the Grog in the side. Damian was amazed by her speed and dexterity, but quickly focused on the fight as the Grog sent his pincers flying once more. The captain spinned and turned to his side, avoiding three of his arms and knocking the fourth to the side before he could get a grasp on her. The Grog turned as well, his four pincer like arms bearing down on her.

The captain fell to her back, successfully avoiding the attack as she slid her legs between the Grog's huge feet and split her legs apart, knocking the Grog's legs out from under him. As he fell the captain rolled back onto her shoulder blades and pushed herself up and over to her feet, quickly lunging forwards as the Grog landed with a solid thud. The Grog's lower two arms began to push himself back up as the other two large pincers swung towards Jane as she flew towards him. She grabbed the two outstretched arms as she completely cleared his body, which was quite a feat with he was at least eight feet tall, and wrenched the arms behind the Grog's solid head. She twisted in her position until she sat directly behind her opponent, her legs sliding down his sides until she wrapped them around his other arms, successfully pinning all four pincers.

The feeler's around the Grog's mouth wiggled wildly as he realized that he was pinned. Damian watched, knowing that the captain had gotten herself into a compromisable position, as she clung to the back of her giant opponent. She still had to pin him beneath her before the timer would start to count down. The Grog seemed to follow the same thought process as Damian as suddenly he pushed up on his feet and dug his back into the captain, successfully pinning her beneath him.

Damian lurched forwards in his seat, much to the discontent of the medical officer as the bandage he was placing to his head was suddenly knocked off. He watched as the captain began to gasp from the heavy weight pressing down on her chest, trapped and unable to move, her face turning deeper shades of red. She was obviously in a lot of pain as the heavy weight pressed into her, and she couldn't breathe as the timer slowly began to count down.

Damian stood, wondering if there was anything he could do, realizing the only escape for her would be when the timer finally ran down and she accepted her defeat. It looked like she could have broken a few ribs from the heavy pressure on her chest.

The captain squirmed beneath the enormous Grog, bringing her hands up over the large head and grasping onto one of the squirming feelers and yanking it to the right. The Grog twisted with her, trying to ease the pain as the captain pulled the feelers forwards. Finally he turned to his side, freeing her from his weight as she kicked with her feet, propelling him forwards. She let go of the long feelers before his massive head crashed into the mat and quickly twisted until once again her legs were wrapped around his lower arms. She grabbed his upper arms and wrenched them behind his back.

The Grog lay almost completely motionless, unable to twist his head from side to side because he had no neck, his arms wiggling and wrenching all around but the captain kept her grip. The timer began to count down as his stiff legs tried to gain leverage to get her off of him, but his back was straight as a rod and it didn't appear that he had any hips to twist himself over, so all his legs could do was kick up and down, doing nothing to help free himself.

Damian was amazed at how the captain was able to keep herself wrapped around the many arms that were squirming beneath her, detaining the rampant force with her extraordinary amount of strength. The seconds began to tick down, the Grog unable to move into a position where he could gain leverage or dislodge the captain. He couldn't believe how quickly the fight had turned, only moments before the captain was getting the life crushed out of her and now she was about to win.

The buzzer sounded as Damian stared at the screen, utterly flabbergasted that the captain had been able to win the seemingly impossible fight. If she had been able to defeat that monstrosity, he began to wonder, then was she going easy on him? He doubted that he would have been able to defeat the Grog so easily, but then again, he had never fought one before.

He reeled to the side as he felt the bandage come into contact with his temple once more as the medical officer tried to treat him. He glanced over to him, remembering what he was doing there.

"Are you going to let me treat you?" The man asked, looking impatient.

"I... sorry-" he stated, distractedly glancing back at the screen as he sank back into his seat, watching as the captain stepped off of her giant opponent and the crowd roared with applause. He realized that he didn't really have to worry about the safety of the captain as she competed against the other contestants. If she was able to win _that_ fight, she would be able to beat all of the rest of her opponents until she became too tired.

He was amazed at the captain's talent. Her ability to defeat all of her opponents in the ring, her score at the shooting range, the many languages she had mastered... he began to realize why the Admiral had sent him to this specific captain. He was certainly in good hands.

The medical officer began placing the bandages on his head again, Damian remaining still for him, deciding that he would take the opportunity to learn more about the strange woman who shared his responsibility of saving the entire universe.

"How long has she been captain?" He asked, motioning towards the screen as the captain stood in the center of the mat, the Grog slowly getting to his feet by her side. She seemed to be about his age, somewhere in her thirties or forties, which was still rather young to be a captain.

"A few years, eight if I remember correctly," he replied, finishing with the bandages and turning to walk over to the cabinets.

Damian was shocked that she had been a captain for so long, she must have been one of the youngest recruits to be promoted so quickly. Though she was obviously talented enough. Her crew seemed to respect her as well; he wondered how she had gained their respect so quickly. Certainly it couldn't just be because she remembered their names, there was a lot more involved to being a captain than that.

Actually, he had no idea what tasks the captain had or what their ship's mission was. He knew they did something within the Star Fleet as the Admiral had control over her, and the ship is much too large to belong to a private entity. It is also too large to be one of the scouting ships that explored the great unknown, most voyager ships were less than half the size of this one. However, he reasoned, there were similarities. Voyagers were built in a way that the crew members could live for years on the ship and never have to leave, which was great as they usually passed so far into outerspace with far and few places to refuel. This ship seemed to be made the same way, on his first day of exploration he had found the garden where a lot of the food was grown and it seemed as though several of the crew members had been aboard for years already.

He wondered if it could be a transport ship, it was certainly big enough. Yet, that explanation didn't quite fit as most transport ships were enormous monstrosities that cycled through its workers swiftly and only travelled short distances. From what he had seen so far most of the crew had already been living on this ship for years and he hadn't seen any large cargo that would prove it as being a transport ship. Besides, if it were just a ship to transport goods why were there games held to show how effective the crew members were at fighting and handling weapons?

"How long have you been working on this ship with her?" He asked, determined to prove his process of thought.

"Six years." He responded, pulling out a few things from a cabinet before returning to Damian's side.

If they weren't a transport ship and were too large to be a voyager then the other choice might be military. The captain was obviously skilled in combat, and her crew members were disciplined enough to be warriors if need be. If they were a military ship where was all of the brute force? All of the crew members he had seen, excluding the ring of muscular fighters around the ring, seemed to be regular workers whose only purpose is to keep the ship running. If this ship were a military one there should be hundreds of foot soldiers walking around wearing a magenta uniform, but he had seen none with that color.

"What exactly is this ship's purpose?" He asked.

The medical officer placed a bottle of pills in front of him on a small table along with a bottled water. "Take two pills, it will alleviate your pain, and take another dose in four to six hours," he responded, ignoring the question.

Damian picked up the bottle of pills and began unscrewing the lid, keeping his eyes focused on the medic. The medical officer stared back at him, his jaw set, making no notion to regard his question at all.

He wondered why the medic chose not to answer, obviously the ship was founded by the Star Fleet with the Admiral's permission so they couldn't be participating in any illegal activities. Nothing he had learned about the ship made any sense. They weren't transport, or a voyager, or military, so what were they? His thoughts turned back to the captain. It would take someone extremely rare to run such a ship that seemed to have no purpose.

"How much do you know about the captain?" Damian asked, pouring two pills into his hand and then dry swallowing them.

"What do you mean?" The medic responded, his deep set eyes peering at him quizzically.

"What was she doing before she became a captain? Where is she from, does she have any family?" He began to wonder why he hadn't thought of these questions earlier, he could have done research on the captain the night before. Instead he had been too preoccupied with the end of the world rather than focusing on who he was spending the time of the apocalypse with.

The medic's brow furrowed as he thought, giving Damian the impression that the officer had no clue of what the captain had been doing before he came to know her. "That's something you're going to have to ask her," he finally responded.

It wasn't too strange that the medical officer didn't know about the past life of the captain, Damian reasoned, and decided instead to ask questions about the present time. He tried to think of something that he needed to know about her that he hadn't already learned already. She was well respected by her crew, intelligent and kind, a fine marksman and amazing at combat, and apparently completely open to the idea of time travel and the colliding of two universes. The latter was certainly the most remarkable of her traits as the idea was absurd and would be scoffed by any regular humanoid, and yet, she had accepted the facts without complaint. It made him wonder if she had been introduced to other impossible events before.

"Has anything ever happened on this ship that would be classified as impossible or out of the ordinary?" He asked.

The medic raised an eyebrow at him. "I think it would be best if you avoided the arena for the time being and return to your private quarters for a few hours until the pain subsides."

Damian winced, reminded of the flares of pain he was feeling around his temple, not to mention his bruised cheek and back. He was slightly embarrassed by his question, of course the medic wasn't going to answer something like that. If something strange or impossible were to happen on this ship it would remain a secret, something that wouldn't be shared lightly with him, even if he were wearing a captains uniform.

He was doubtful that anything might have happened before on this ship that was inexplicable, perhaps the captain was just open minded about the concept about time travel and took in outrageous facts without blinking. He decided that pressing the subject wouldn't get him anywhere, and decided to give his questions a rest.

He couldn't help but to agree with the medic's advice, he dearly wanted to go and lay down in the quiet of his room. He was certain that the captain would be able to handle herself, though he would probably watch from a transparent screen once in his room just to make sure. He didn't want to return to the arena among all of the noise and chaos while his head was still reeling.

"Fine." He grunted, pushing himself to his feet. He glanced at the screen, noticing that the next contestant had stepped up to face the captain. It was the same man they had met earlier, the engineer with the yellow shirt, Jason or Jacob or something. His lips were pulled into a smile, stretching the long scar on his chin as he flexed his muscles into his fighting stance directly in front of the captain. He figured that if the captain was able to beat the crazy lizard lady, himself, and the Grog, then undoubtedly she would be able to defeat the engineer as well. Still holding the pill bottle in his hand he waved the screen away and turned to look at the medic.

The medical officer stood staring at him, his arms crossed over his black uniform. Damian was several inches taller than him but he felt respect for the small medic. He didn't envy the man his job, constantly dealing with injuries and death. He clenched his jaw, reminding himself that there would soon be a lot of death to deal with as the universes continued to merge.

"Thanks," Damian said, wiggling the pills.

The medic nodded in response and Damian turned to walk away, determined to head back to his room. He passed through the doorway and down the long hallways back to the noise, cheering emanating from the arena. He figured that the captain was doing well; she was obviously a favorite among the crowd. He reentered the main hallway that led to the games, the lift at the far end of the wide passageway. The crew members he passed nodded at him, some of them even began clapping as he walked by. The noise hurt his head but he managed to acknowledge them as he passed with a wave of his fingers. The crew really liked the games and appreciated the participants, he realized. He was embarrassed by their attention on him, especially since he had lost, but he was pleased to learn that they still respected the participants merely for trying in the games.

He returned to the elevator and waved his hand over the sensor. Once it arrived the doors opened and a small crew member stood within it, her face furry with large ears, wearing a pink shirt that assigned her as a technician. He recognized her from passing by her earlier with the captain when they had done their rounds that day. When she saw him in front of the open elevator her eyes grew wide and her pink nose began to twitch. She floundered for a moment before bringing a furry hand to her temple in salute.

"At ease," Damian said, uncomfortable by the salute. The technician swallowed and scooted to the side, allowing him to enter and stand beside her. The doors slid shut behind him as he pushed for the level where the private quarters were located for the crew, noticing that she was going to the level below his where he had met her before. He glanced to his side to look at her.

He remembered that the captain had called her by name but he couldn't recall it. She was standing stiffly, her back straight, not daring to make eye contact with him. He wanted to make her feel more comfortable around him, so he decided to make small talk.

"What's your name?" He asked as sincere as he could.

"Elsa," she replied with a squeak, her large purple eyes flashing over to him before quickly darting away.

"Will you be participating in any of the games today, Elsa?" He asked, seriously doubting that the small woman would be running through the shooting range, and the thought of watching her try to fight in the arena almost made him chuckle out loud.

"Yes." She responded.

Damian raised an eyebrow, her answer throwing him through the loop. He figured that she might be a good shot, though with her small form and frightened demeanor he doubted that she would be the type of person to participate in the shooting range. "Oh?" He asked speculatively, hoping that she would elaborate on which one she would be playing.

"Yes sir, Last Man Standing." She squeaked as the elevator came to the stop and the doors swished open. She glanced at him before stepping out.

"Good luck." He said, wondering how well she would do. From what he knew the last game of the night included the skills from the two previous games, and he doubted that the small mouse-like lady would get any far in it.

She turned and bowed at him as the doors closed and he was whisked up to the next level. He thought it was strange that a crew member like her would participate in the games, though he figured that it must not be dangerous. He didn't really know what to expect and thinking made his head hurt.

The lift stopped on his floor and he stepped out, once more completely alone. The entire area seemed to be empty; he doubted that anyone would be in their rooms when they would rather be near the games- unless of course they were at their posts working. It was strange that the captain allowed the games to take place, especially if they were such a large event and so distracting to her crew. What if there were pirates nearby or they were entering dangerous territory? She would need her entire crew to be alert, he thought. However, he reasoned, they were passing far away from civilization almost to the edge of the universe where the Time Gate was, so he doubted that they would experience any problems.

He made his way through the maze of hallways that were all so starkly similar to each other, his head buzzing from the effort of trying to remember where to go until he eventually found his room. He typed in the code 7437 and the door slid open for him. He stepped into his room and took in a deep breath of air as the door slid shut behind him. He set the bottle of pills on the small table to the side and then slumped into his bed.

He rested his head on the wall as he took in a deep breath of air, feeling his chest rise against the stretchy material of his uniform. The pain in his head began to fade into a dull ache as the medicine finally began to kick in. He took the quiet respite as an opportunity to think through what was happening.

The ship should be making towards the Time Gate, he reasoned. The thought made him shudder. He wasn't sure what they were expecting to find once they arrived. He knew that all of the scientists stationed there on the abandoned planet where it was located were all dead. It was also the center between the two merging universes, making him think of the narrow point in the center of an hourglass, allowing the passage of sand through the small opening. As more time progressed in the hourglass, the more sand would fall through.

That is what he based his theory on the two merging universes on. As time progressed more changes would be made as the alternate universe merged with their own, killing more and more people. He wondered if complete planets would also disappear, figuring that it could be possible as planets had been destroyed in the alternate universe.

As the ship continued to press closer to the Time Gate, they would be closer to the influx of the other universe, and he had no idea of how it would affect them. Would they all disappear if they got too close to the gate? Would even more of them become affected as they neared the center point?

He had a feeling that everything was soon going to collapse around him, though the games offered a respite from the danger he felt himself in and they were a nice distraction from what was happening. He knew that the universes would continue to collide until nothing was left, and sooner or later he personally would be affected. Hopefully they would make it to the Time Gate in time to save their universe from complete collapse.

Though the medicine was now fully working, his head still continued to pound from the stress he found himself in. No one on this ship, save the captain, was aware of the impending doom. It was quite the responsibility to be burdened with, to know that soon everything they ever knew was going to cease from existing. Everyone they knew was going to die.

Unless he could stop it.

Damian let out a sigh. He could do nothing until they approached the Gate, which was still a few days of travel away. There might not even be a chance for them to get close enough to it as the other universe continued to stream into theirs from the Gate itself. And if they did actually get there, what was he going to do? He had hoped that they would just be able to blow it up, but he didn't quite understand all of the repercussions that would happen from doing something as drastic as that.

There was no way to have any certainty on what to do to fix their problem. The Time Gate should never have existed in the first place. And yet, it was there, and the changes the scientists had made, what _he _had made, would soon come to haunt them as everything was destroyed.

He opened his eyes and looked around his small bedroom. The walls were bleached white, the floor a hard surface of polished metal. The sheets on his bed were a dull gray color, a small cream colored pillow lay at the head of the small bed.

If there was nothing for him to do for the moment, he might as well distract himself with the games. While he was at it he would also pull up a little bit of research on the captain as well, and check the records for what the ship's mission and assignments had been recently. He sat forwards on his bed and waved his hand through the air, looking directly into the camera above his door. The transparent screen appeared in front of him. He clicked on the live feed of the arena and was pleased to see that the captain was still in the ring. She was fighting against a brown clad security officer, and was obviously winning. He moved the live feed to the side and brought up the search engine to begin his research.


	11. 11 A Missing Planet

The buzzer sounded, its sound melting into the uproarious shouting and screams resounding throughout the entire arena. Jane disentangled her legs from her opponent's neck and rolled off of his body, relieved that the round was over. Her entire body was sore with aches and pains from all of the fights; she had been fighting for two hours straight.

She groaned as she pushed herself on her hands and feet, exerting all of her power to keep her limbs from shaking from the effort. She knew she had pushed herself too hard, her only breaks were the brief respites between fights before the next opponent stepped up to the mat. Her crew had all been too eager to see if they could take her on, each one hoping that she was worn down enough to finally lose. Boy, had she proved them wrong.

She had been much too stubborn to lose a fight, and half of the effort she exerted was in trying to appear as strong as possible though she desperately wanted to just lie down. She didn't want to appear weak and there was no way that she was going to let one of her crew beat her.

With an effort she finally raised to her feet and stared out among the screaming crowd. She was receiving a standing ovation; each crew member was on their feet and applauding at her victory. She shakily smiled as she peered at them, wondering why they were standing. Her last fight hadn't been that monumental, she had allowed her opponent to try to hit her a few times before she suddenly attacked him and pinned him within a few seconds.

Several of her other fights had been similar to her last one, she mused. For many of them she hadn't allowed a single blow to land on her. However, try as she might, not all of her fights had been that easy. There was certainly a lot of talent on this ship for combat, she thought with a smile.

The worst fight she had was definitely the one with the Grog immediately after facing the commander. When he had crushed her with his entire weight she had felt three ribs crack under the immense pressure. She had done all she could to keep from blacking out before he had finally rolled over from her yanking on his feelers. Though she had hastily healed herself, her ribs piecing back together awkwardly as she had no time to focus on doing it properly, throughout the rest of the fights her chest still ached and caused her pain.

As she peered around the room she suddenly realized why she was receiving a standing ovation. The games were over. The time was up and there was going to be a half hour break before the last game began. Jane let out a raspy sigh of relief, the air searing against her damaged lungs. She was finally free to leave and go somewhere in private where she could examine her injuries and heal herself.

"Captain, captain, captain-" The chant resonated throughout the room as the crew shouted her name. She knew that she had set a new record; no other fighter had ever lasted as long as her. The most opponents anyone had ever defeated was fifteen and she had defeated thirty-eight. Her achievement was impossible, but then again, she was impossible.

She offered a quick wave as she began making her way towards the low wall, her opponent already out of the ring. Each step caused fire to rear all the way up throughout her nerve systems, and Jane did all she could to keep from limping. She was immensely happy that it was finally over and longed to return to the peace and quiet of her room, away from all of the rambunctious noise and confusion surrounding her.

As she neared the wall she examined the faces of her crew, looking for the commander. He was nowhere in sight. She began to worry about him; she knew that she had really clocked him with that kick of hers. Though it shouldn't have done more damage than to give him a raging headache that should have been taken care of if he had taken the medicine the medical officer would have given him. She hoped she hadn't scared the commander off with her fighting skills, she knew that no man ever wanted to be defeated by a woman and humiliated- as his defeat was broadcasted throughout the entire ship. Perhaps she should have gone easier on him, she thought as she clenched her teeth against the pain. Then again, she had given him a chance to win. It was his own fault for being distracted by her kiss that had allowed her to escape.

She approached the wall and rested her hands against it, summoning up the strength required to get herself over it. She fondly thought back to the fight she had against the commander, he had truly proved himself to be a worthy opponent. He was an excellent fighter and though she had fought as hard and fast as she could he had been able to keep up with her blows and even pin her to the floor. Until she kissed him. She let a smile escape over her lips as she thought back to the event. It had been random, completely in the moment, she had had no previous thoughts earlier of sneaking a kiss from him. The shock and confusion on his face made the kiss completely worth it.

She pushed herself up and swung her legs over the wall, landing next to her tall boots that the commander had stacked neatly next to the wall. Several of her crew members crowded around her, many of them were some of the opponents she had beaten, and everyone of them looked at her with respect and awe across their faces.

She bent down and began pulling on her boots, her head swimming with the effort. From the corner of her eye she noticed a black clad crew member approach, obviously intent on leading her to the medical center. She couldn't let him examine her, he would be able to see that some of the wounds she had received while fighting simply weren't there anymore, such as her broken ribs. Even though there would be no proof that her ribs had been broken, she can't have the risk of her wounds being examined today only to find that they then simply disappeared the next day.

After pulling on her boots she made eye contact with the medical officer, who stared back at her with gaunt eyes and tightly drawn lips. She recognized him as Karl; he had served on her ship for at least six years now and was one of her best medical officers. She had a lot of confidence in him and knew that if she asked him to he would allow her to leave without receiving a medical examination.

She knew that everyone probably expected her to follow the medic; though she was doing her best to hide her injuries she was certain that they all knew she was in pain. She decided to follow him so that her crew would be satisfied before she gave him the slip and returned to her own private quarters.

The medic turned and began to lead her out of the arena, her crew members saluting as she passed, each one of them looking at her with awe and respect as her name continued to be chanted throughout the arena. The long passageway seemed to never end as she held her head high and did her best to walk without a limp, trying her hardest to keep herself from automatically healing her wounds. She wanted to take the time to do it right, and if she started now someone might notice.

They passed through the double doors, Karl walking with a rapid pace. The audience began to trail out of the arena after them, their conversations filling the large hallway as they excitedly talked over the games, each of them looking forwards to watching Last Man Standing. Jane knew for certain that she would not be participating in that game, especially after the long hours she had spent in the fighting arena.

Karl turned off of the main passageway and began to lead her to the more deserted areas where the medical center was held. After turning onto another hallway, the area completely abandoned, Jane halted.

"Karl, if you don't mind, I think I'd rather just return to my room right now." Jane stated, her voice tired and strained.

He stopped and turned to face her, one of his eyebrows raised as he peered at her quizzically. "But you've just been pummelled for the last two hours," he stated.

Jane wanted to scoff, insulted from his choice of words, but instead she found herself chuckling.

"I am well aware of that. I'll be sure to call you if I need any help, but if you'll excuse me, I'm going to head back up to my room." Jane turned and began walking back the way they came.

"Captain," Karl called behind her, hurrying to her side. "I'm not sure that is the wisest course of action, you might have serious injuries that need to be looked at."

Jane glanced at him as she continued walking and saw the concern across his face. "I don't have any serious injuries." She lied, reminded of her broken ribs and the fact that all of her nerves were on fire; she was certain that her hastily healed ribs were the least of her problems.

She entered once again into the main passageway that was now bustling and crowded with the many crew members that were milling about. The next game, Last Man Standing, was much like the shooting range, where the audience could not watch live like in the arena and instead would have to watch from one of the screens. Several of them would watch from the arena where a large screen would fill the entire area, but most of them would take the opportunity to meet together in their rooms or any other quiet place on the ship. Until then the next half hour would be spent making their bets with others before the game began and they found their own place to watch it either by themselves or in a group.

Karl was lost in the crowd as Jane pressed forwards, the nearest crew members snapping to attention as they cleared a space allowing her to pass. She passed by relatively easily, finally making it to the elevator. The lift was open when she arrived and filled with crew members, but upon seeing her they all exited the elevator and allowed her to travel up alone. She nodded her thanks as they filed past and stepped onto the elevator. The doors slid shut behind her and she and was lifted up to the control room in silence.

The doors slid open to reveal the control room. Instead of snapping to attention the red-shirted crew members leapt to their feet and began clapping upon her entrance. Jane smiled shyly, embarrassed by their praise as she crossed over to the bridge. Even Triss was standing, though instead of clapping she was holding her e-book, her lips in a thin line, her expression unreadable. Jane slowly stepped up the stairs, each step making her bones ache. She was glad that the fights were over, her break was long overdue.

After crossing the bridge she held her hand over the sensor leading to her private quarters, once her fingerprints scanned the door slid open. Only she and Triss were able to pass the locked door and it only opened for the two of them. She stepped into the abandoned hallway, the door sliding shut behind her, cutting off the applause from the other room.

Jane let herself limp as she continued down the walkway to her private elevator at the end of the hall, allowing herself to slouch, the pain too much to try to walk normally. She entered the lift and finally stepped onto her own level, arduously walking into her bedroom and passing into the bathroom.

Ambient lighting cast soft shadows all around her as she leaned up against the sink and examined her appearance. She had successfully managed to keep her face from being damaged and her eyes glistened bright blue in the mirror's reflection. Her hair was tangled and matted in the ponytail, the golden blonde strands resting on her shoulder. No physical damage was visible, the only inclination of her physical exertion was shown through her weary eyes and slouched posture.

Tenderly, her entire body aching, she removed her hands from the sink's edge and pulled on the bottom of her shirt and lifted it over her head. Dropping the flexible material to the ground she held back a gasp as she stared at her appearance. Dark bruises had formed on her ribs where they had cracked, the dark purple and green color spreading like a giant ink blot, threatening to take over her entire chest. Her shoulders was also sporting a purple stain of color from when the commander had thrust his elbow down on her. Multiple pigments of discoloration spotted her entire torso where she had been hit, she looked as if a painter had splatted dark green, purple, and blue paint randomly all over her.

She gingerly touched the dark bruising on her ribs, a gasp of pain escaping her lips. The tender flesh ached as the broken ribs flared in pain. Jane shut her eyes and began to focus on the location, letting the healing powers flow through her and correctly piece together the ribs. Warmth swarmed to the area, her bones moving just a fraction if a centimeter to their appropriate position, the large bruise fading with relief.

Ever since she could remember she had always been able to heal herself. She remembered the first time she had cut herself and saw blood flowing out of her slit wrist, watching with amazement as suddenly the skin began to piece itself back together until there was no longer any evidence of damage. She soon learned how to control the healing process, either healing immediately or holding restraint for months on end, allowing broken bones and other injuries to heal at the normal pace of a regular human.

She began to heal the rest of her bruises, feeling the warmth emanate throughout her body as she began to relax, her aching muscles slowly easing as the pain was erased. She stood still for a few minutes until her entire body felt calm and relaxed, the pain dissipating completely.

Once finished, feeling rejuvenated and revitalized, Jane bent down and picked up her shirt. She pulled it over her head, extremely glad that her body was no longer tired or wracked with pain. She knew that she would have to deceive her crew members into believing that she was still tired from her fights even though she felt fresh and renewed. She can't be walking around as if she had been miraculously healed, that would be preposterous, she thought with a chuckle. Still, she could appear to be more dignified and presentable. She grabbed a brush from one of the drawers and began to do her hair, reminding herself that she probably should keep off her feet for the next few hours so that no one noticed that she was no longer tired.

She began to wonder what the commander had been up to for the last few hours while she fought. She hadn't seen him when she had left, but it didn't mean that he wasn't among the crowd. She wanted to spend more time with him, and considered inviting him to watch the last game with her. There was nothing wrong with wanting to keep him by her side, it would give her an opportunity to get to know him better. Besides, she liked his company. She hoped that he wouldn't be too mad at her and embarrassed by his defeat to refrain from seeing her again.

She set down her brush and waved her hand over the door's sensor. After the door slid open she stepped into her room and walked straight to the center of the carpet and looked towards the wall where the mahogany shelves rested. A sensor was cleverly hidden in one of the paintings, it being different from other cameras as it didn't record anything; instead the sensor was able to monitor her movements without keeping a record. She waved her hand in the air towards the sensor, bringing her transparent screens to life.

The last game would begin soon, which is why she opted not to take a shower and miss the opening. She brought up her messaging board and typed a quick message: "If you would like to watch Last Man Standing with me, meet me on the bridge." She clicked send after typing in the commander's bedroom number. The message would automatically appear on the screen in front of the person in the bedroom. If he wasn't in his bedroom, the ship's computer would automatically find him based on his image and broadcast a screen directly in front of him wherever he may be.

Something on one of the screens at the corner of her eye caught her attention. It was the ship's flight course as they headed towards the edge of the universe, but something was different. She hadn't passed this far through the Medusa Nebula for centuries, yet she knew something was off. She enlarged the screen and peered at the familiar meteoroid belts and planets they would pass by, realizing that something was missing. A small planet, one that she remembered as being unbearingly hot the last time she had visited, simply was missing. The planet's name was Jarvius, she and her small crew of voyagers some centuries ago had explored the area and crash landed on the hot planet and were stranded for a few months until a rescue team that had been deployed reached them.

Jane knew that the planet should be there. She urgently typed in the planet's coordinates on another screen, hoping that perhaps her memory was just off or the planet just merely hadn't been detected due to an error. No results came in her search; the planet was gone. She stared at her screens, trying to comprehend why there was suddenly a missing planet.

Her stomach dropped as she was reminded of what her mission was, and why the commander had been assigned to assist her. Their goal was to stop the end of the universe before everything was destroyed, and she had let the fact slip her mind as she focused solely on the games.

The commander had mentioned that everything would change. In the alternate universe he said that entire planets had been blown up. Could Jarvius have been one of the planets to be affected, resulting in its disappearance? It didn't fit into everything that had been explained to her; if a person was affected they go on a killing spree and murder everyone they might have come into contact with. How could a planet be affected? It wasn't a living thing, so since it was affected and couldn't go on a killing rampage would it just simply disappear?

She began to search for any records of there being a planet named Jarvius, or any planet that fit the description in the area. Nothing was found that fit her description. An entire planet, gone. While it was only meagerly inhabited with fewer than seven million life forms on it (from what she remembered on her results from a few centuries back,) it was still quite a huge affair for an entire planet to suddenly go missing.

Jane wondered if there were other planets had gone missing, but typing in "missing planets" into the search bar certainly wouldn't get her any results if they just suddenly disappeared, along with all of their records.. Perhaps Jarvius was the only one, as it was small and closer to the Time Gate than most other planets. She began exploring the surrounding planets on her screen, prodding her memory for her internal map of the universe.

She let her immediate surroundings and abstract thoughts fade from her mind as she completely focused on what she could remember of the arrangement of the universe, correlating her thoughts with what she found on her screen.

After a few minutes of intense focus she was distracted as a message popped up on a screen to her right. She glanced over to it, mildly amused as she read the report; "The commander is here." She could almost feel the irritation Triss was emanating through her curt message. Jane knew that her second in command hadn't taken kindly to their new passenger, and considered what must be running through her head in regards to the commander. He had mysteriously shown up out of the blue, showing up in strange, out of date clothing, and then suddenly the next day he had the audacity to walk around in a captain's uniform and request to be called the "commander." There were no records of him and Triss had no idea of why he was here.

Jane hoped that there would be no reason for Triss to realize the commander's purpose in being there. She would prefer it if everyone would just go on about their lives oblivious to the fact that the universe would soon end, if they realized the end was near utter chaos would erupt. She found it strange that while there were mass murders happening all around the people who were near the ones who were affected did nothing, allowing the affected to simply disappear.

She waved her screens away and walked towards her glass doors that had been tinted black. She opened them with a flick of her wrist and quickly walked towards the lift. She was eager to talk with the commander in private and see what his reaction would be to the missing planet.


	12. 12 Last Man Standing

After the door to the bridge opened Jane stepped out and peered down at her saluting crew members. Her attention crossed over to Triss, who was sitting discontentedly in her chair, her eyes glaring towards the corner of the bridge near the stairs. Following her gaze Jane looked towards the stairs to see the commander leaning against the wall at the foot of the stairs. A white bandage was attached to his temple where she had kicked him, but he looked none the worse for wear, his bright eyes examining the room around him.

"At ease." Jane commanded as she stepped out on the bridge, catching the commander's attention. He turned to look at her, his emerald eyes taking in her appearance. She marveled in the way his eye color seemed to change everytime he looked at her.

Jane reminded herself that she had just been fighting for two hours and should be exhausted, so she allowed herself to slouch slightly as she slowly walked towards her second in command. Triss turned her attention to the captain as she approached, standing from her chair and holding her e-book against her hip.

"How is the ship's progress going?" Jane asked as she stepped in front of her second in command.

Triss blinked her yellow eyes as she glanced down at her tablet. "We should arrive at our _new_ destination within the next few days, should things continue to run smoothly." She said, stressing the word "new" with distaste which was obviously intended towards the commander for altering their course. Her green lips pursed as she looked back up to Jane. "Why are we going to the edge of the universe?" She asked.

Jane considered what her response should be. Well, she thought, they are heading to the edge of the universe to do who knows what in order to stop a Time Gate from merging an alternate universe into theirs that would successfully destroy everything that ever existed. Of course, it was only a theory, there really was no proof to the end of reality itself as everything that became affected would suddenly be erased and leave no records.

"I wanted to do a bit of exploring," Jane responded lightheartedly, knowing that Triss had recognized her answer as a lie as her scaled forehead furrowed in confusion. Her shoulders tensed as she drew her e-book tighter towards her body.

"With the commander?" She said with contempt, her bottom lip furling to reveal her pointed teeth.

"Well, he did type in the coordinates, didn't he?" Jane said, glancing towards the man who remained at the foot of the stairs, his lanky body slouched against the wall. She knew that keeping Triss in the dark about what was really going on was unfair based on their relationship. She was her second in command, and while she didn't have to know the purpose behind what the captain did Jane had always let Triss know what their mission was, no matter the level of secrecy. This secret was just too big to pass on, and if she lost her friendship over it, then so be it, she decided.

She turned to look at her second in command once more, seeing her green lips drawn into a tight line once more. Triss accepted her answer without pressing further, realizing that Jane was not going to elaborate or give her the complete truth. She held her e-book up and stared down at it, not making eye contact with the captain.

Taking her cue Jane turned to leave and began walking towards the commander, making sure to walk with measured paces rather than swiftly striding to him like she wanted. As she stepped down the stairs, taking her time to make it appear as though she were exhausted, his eyes finally turned to catch her in his striking gaze. He pushed himself off the wall and straightened his posture as he watched her approach.

"Were you able to watch the rest of the games?" Jane asked as she neared him.

His eyes shifted in tone of color as his expression towards her turned to respect. "I did," he stated, his deep baritone voice calm and controlled. "Congratulations on your many victories."

Jane smiled shyly and lowered her gaze, pleased by his acknowledgement and yet embarrassed. If she had lost and let him win, she was certain that he would have had many victories of his own. She glanced towards his body, his tall frame was slender yet well formed with tight muscles. He was an excellent fighter and Jane was amazed by his abilities, but she quickly turned her thoughts away from admiring his body as she reminded herself of why he was there. The end of the universe. Right.

"I have some things to talk to you about." Jane said, stepping past him and heading towards the elevator. He silently followed her as they entered the lift. They passed the time in companionable silence as Jane lead him to the same room they had first privately met in, past the long hallway and through the large meeting room.

Once inside the door shut behind them and Jane made her way to one of the plush chairs to take a seat. She slowly sank into her chair, bringing her feet up onto the red cushion and wrapping her arms around her knees. She watched as the commander took his seat across from her, keeping his feet firmly attached to the floor as he leaned back and rested his arms against the arm rests.

"A planet has disappeared," Jane said, straight to the point.

He stared back at her, his pale face devoid of emotion as he took in her information without any shock. "Which one?" He asked as though he were merely asking something simple like what her favorite color was rather than to ask with heavy conscious based on the sudden disappearance of an entire planet.

"Jarvius."

"Hmm," his deep voice rumbled, apparently disinterested with the topic.

"Will there be many planets that will disappear?"

"Perhaps." He responded absentmindedly, turning his attention to gaze around the small room and the bar in the corner.

"Do you know exactly how many planets were destroyed in the alternate universe?" Because of the scientists, Jane wanted to add, but she had a feeling that the commander wouldn't appreciate the jab. Not that he was a scientist himself, she still wasn't quite certain why he knew so much about the Time Gate, though she had her suspicions regarding his involvement.

"No."

Their conversation dwindled off as they both sat in silence, both in their own thoughts, neither wanting to make eye contact.

"Where did you learn to fight?" The commander asked, shattering the silence.

Jane looked up from her examination of her boots and was caught in his laser like gaze, his heterochromic eyes shining brightly in a mix of blue, green and gold.

"Your level of fighting would require a massive amount of training, though there is no evidence of such as there are no records of your life before you became captain..." He offered as an explanation, his baritone voice rumbling off the words with lightening speed.

"Really?" Jane asked sardonically, a smile forming on her lips. "I could say the same about you, other than the fact that there are absolutely zero records on you."

He peered at her, his eyebrow raising up to become lost in the thick dark curls that swept over his forehead. "Really?" He repeated, copying her intonation exactly, his lips twitching into a slight smile.

Jane chuckled. "Alright, neither of us are willing to share our secrets, I understand." She stood and began to push her chair towards the commander, flipping it around and setting it beside his. "Just as well, the game is about to begin." He watched her movements with mild amusement as she plopped herself in the seat besides him, waving her arm in the air to bring up a transparent screen.

A screen appeared in front of her, which she expanded by pulling at its corners and pushed it in front of the two of them and quickly clicked on the live stream. It showed a small room with a single contestant, which she immediately recognized as Zach from seeing him earlier in the shooting range. His yellow skin contrasted against his pink shirt as his black eyes stared ahead, the needles poking out of head quivering slightly in anticipation. Jane swiped her hand across the screen, bringing up a similar looking room with another contestant.

"There are thirty contestants, their goal is to last the longest without either being stunned or incapacitated in a skirmish," Jane began to explain, twisting her feet over an armrest and positioning her head closer to the commander as she continued to flick through the screens.

"Their doors open up into a maze where they all go in search of each other and try to eliminate the other players." She continued to explain, flipping through the thirty contestants, some of them familiar faces from earlier that day, some of them she knew she hadn't introduced to the commander yet. She recognized a few of them from some of her fights as well.

"Do you have any bets on who is going to win?" The commander asked. Jane twisted her head to see him, from her position he was slightly above her as she laid haphazardly across her seat.

"Oh, I don't bet or gamble. I tend to keep an open mind towards the games, it allows me to see the talent among my crew without any bias." She responded, smiling up at his face with those perfectly arched cheekbones.

"Right, so your participation in the fights was merely to see the talent among your crew members as you immobilized them in only a few seconds," he drawled sarcastically.

Jane chuckled and was pleased to see that his lips formed into a smile as well. "There was still a lot of talent shown in the ring, I was able to experience it first hand-" Jane defended, "besides, there were a few rounds where my defeat was imminent... namely our fight."

His eyes rested on hers, his expression thoughtful. "Well, I'm proud to say that I _nearly_ won against the indefatigable captain." His lips then pulled open into an authentic smile, revealing his white teeth. "Though I did let you win."

Jane scoffed as she sat up in her seat. "What?" She blurted, incredulous.

He chuckled. "I thought it was a fair exchange, a kiss for a victory," he stated smugly.

Jane humphed as she lowered herself back down onto the armrest. "That wasn't my intention for kissing you," she said grumpily, offended that he had let her win. She had been certain that her kick was the thing that had kept him dazed, but as she thought about it she realized he hadn't really struggled at all as she pinned him to the mat. She had assumed that he was too dazed to move, but perhaps he had given her the victory.

"What was your intention?" His baritone voice suavely purred, curiosity laced in the words.

Jane became embarrassed and refused to meet his gaze. For her to admit that she was attracted to him and had leapt upon the opportunity to steal a kiss would be extremely unseemly. "No reason-" she said obstinately, before realizing her denial would only lead him to conjecture his own opinion on what her real reason was."I just wanted to distract you long enough to turn the outcome to my favor, whatever means necessary."

"Hmm." His deep voice rumbled.

Jane's attention was brought back to the screen as a buzzer suddenly sounded and the door opened, the contestant rushing out of the room. The person they were monitoring was a pink clad contestant with large furry ears and large brown eyes. Jane recognized her as Elsa, the same crew member she and the commander had passed on the elevator when she had done her rounds. The mouse like woman quickly rushed out of the room and into a darkened hallway full of small niches that abruptly turned of in several directions. A small map appeared at the bottom corner of the screen; several dots scattered the layout of the maze to represent the location of each contestant.

"She doesn't seem like the type of person who would win at a game that centers around fighting and shooting." The commander stated, staring towards the screen.

"Elsa is quiet and extremely light on her feet," Jane explained, "she'll sneak up on the other contestants and shoot them in the back, and is incredibly good at hiding for long periods of time."

Jane switched the screen to another contestant as he made his way through the maze. He was wearing a green uniform that defined him as a janitor, he held his gun up at the ready as rushed to a wall besides a long open hallway.. On the map it showed another contestant walking through the hallway towards him. The janitor peered around the edge and suddenly a bright flash of electric blue light illuminated the area and arched to his body. He began to writhe before he twitchingly slumped to the ground. The other contestant approached, and Jane recognized him as Justin, one of the first fighters of the day that had lost to Sylvia and her long claws. He was wearing a new brown shirt, the material bunched over his wrists where he must have been wearing bandages. He crossed over his stunned opponent and continued walking, his steps short and hesitant in order to quiet his movements.

"What do the contestants do after they are eliminated?" The commander asked as he watched the janitor's body lie motionless on the ground.

"They get removed from the maze and a marker is placed where they are eliminated." She responded distractedly as she switched over to another camera after seeing two medics rush to the screen to take the stunned player out of the match.

They continued to watch the game as slowly the contestants were eliminated, most of them from being stunned but once a scuffle broke out among a couple of security guards after they knocked away each other's weapons. One of them gained the upper hand while they were wrestling, and after pinning his opponent to the floor for ten seconds the victor stood and picked up his weapon and then silently stole away as a few medics rushed to the scene of the skirmish. They picked up the loser's weapon off of the floor and began to escort the eliminated player out of the maze, watching a small screen in front of them to make sure that they didn't run into any other contestants.

Minutes passed as the game continued to progress, Jane and the commander watching mainly in silence with only a few interruptions between the two of them. Jane flipped through the many cameras on the screen between the rest of the contestants, noticing that there were only a few left. Zach was still there, his yellow skin glowing luminescent in the dim lighting, and though it made for an easy target his reflexes were quick enough to get off a shot before he himself was stunned. Elsa was also still among the survivors, hiding in a small alcove in the corner of two connecting hallways where she would ambush any passersby.

There was a red uniformed control room member also running around, which Jane recognized as the engine master, Jefferson. Jane was moderately surprised at seeing him do so well, his young face in taut concentration as he quietly made his way around the maze. He would certainly go on to do many great things in his life, she thought. Becoming an engine master at so young of an age while also doing well in a game focused on stealth, aim, and combat was quite the feat.

She stopped flicking through the screens when she came across Jacob and was pleased to see the engineer doing so well. She was thinking that he would probably win the game, though she had told the commander that she didn't watch the games with any predestined opinions. If she had to bet she would have placed it on him as the victor. She felt a slight twinge of remorse for defeating him in the arena as he certainly would have gotten far in that as well. She watched as Jacob silently made his way through the hallway, holding his gun up at the ready, his yellow uniform stretching across his tense muscles. Suddenly he halted, a strange expression flitted across his face, changing from a look of concentration suddenly to a look of blank confusion. The expression quickly passed as his face became completely devoid of emotion, and instead of silently moving ahead he began to walk forwards with a purpose, his footsteps reverberating throughout the area. His entire mannerisms seemed to change as he strode forwards, making no heed to quiet his movement as he began to fiddle with his gun.

"A change of tactic." The commander mused, Jane turned to glance at him as he stared at the screen with his fingers steepled under his chin. "His noise will lure the rest of them to him."

"But why now?" Jane contemplated, "There are still quite a few of them left to eliminate, he'll lose the upper hand of sneaking up on them unawares." She turned to look at the screen, noticing that a dot on the map started to move towards Jacob's position. She flipped to that screen and watched as Elsa silently but swiftly began making her way towards Jacob's position, her large mouse like ears twitching forwards. Another dot on the screen also began making its way towards his position, the rest of the contestants too far away in the maze to hear the noise. Jane switched over to that dot and saw Jefferson's slightly built body stealthily making his way around a corner.

Jane tensed in her seat, anticipating a confrontation as she flipped the screen back to the camera watching the engineer. Jacob continued to walk forwards, his face blank as if a mask had been drawn over his countenance, apparently nonplussed that he was drawing his opponents to him. She kept her eye on the corner of the screen as Jefferson approached from a hallway in front of Jacob, Elsa sneaking in from behind. Both of them would reach Jacob at the same time. Jane figured that the person in the best position was Elsa; if she played it smart she would let the two men in front of her fight it out before she took down the survivor from behind.

Jefferson's dot halted before stepping out into the hallway Jacob was loudly progressing down, the engineer apparently oblivious to his proximity. Jane switched the camera over to Jefferson to see why he was waiting. He was leaning against the wall, his head tilted slightly as he listened to the approaching footsteps, his gun held at the ready. From glancing at the small map Jane was able to see that Elsa had entered the hallway as well, noiselessly approaching Jacob from behind. If he turned around he could see her, but she was silent enough to not be heard.

Jefferson clenched his his jaw to strengthen his resolve before suddenly stepping out into the hallway to aim down his sights towards his oncoming opponent. A flash of light sped through the air, but Jane knew instantly that something was immensely wrong. Instead of an electric blue laser, a dark red beam sliced through the air from Jacob's weapon. The beam hit Jefferson squarely in his chest and blood splurted across all of the surrounding walls, leaving a gaping hole in the center of his torso. A look of confusion was etched onto the young man's face as his body fell lifeless to the ground.

Jane lurched out of her seat, appalled at the grisly sight, utterly stunned by the sudden change in events. She waved her arm wildly and brought up another screen next to the one they were watching the games from and began to type frantically, ending the games. Red light began to flash in the hallway where the body lay, signalling the end of the game.

She watched with disgust as Jacob continued to walk forwards, his eyes straight ahead with an emotionless mask etched across his face. He didn't seem affected at all by his murderous act; his eyes straight ahead, the flashing red lighting causing his eyes to take on a demon like hue.

Two medics stepped out of a hidden doorway in the adjoining hallway and rushed to Jefferson's body, entering the hallway where the murderer was. When Jacob saw the medics approach the body his arm lifted and two more red lasers flew through the air. Jane watched in dismay as the black-clad medical officers dropped to the ground, half of one's head blown off as the other screamed in agony as he fell to his knees, blood spurting from his shoulder where his arm used to be. Jacob was about to send off another shot to finish off the living medical officer when a bright flash of electric blue lightning arched through the air and connected to his body from behind. The weapon fell from his hand as his body began to twitch and flail as he fell to the ground, twitching occasionally until he finally rested motionless.

Jane switched the camera, wondering what had happened and focused in on the contestant directly behind Jacob. Elsa hesitantly made her way forwards, her ears pinned back to her head, her eyes wide in shock as she held her gun in shaking hands, blue arcs of electricity dancing around the barrel.

Jane turned to her other screen again as she sent out messages throughout the ship, informing the medics to clear out the bodies and care for their wounded officer, next informing her security guards to detain Jacob in one of the cells. She then put in the code to disable all of the cameras, and the large screen went blank.

She turned to face the commander, her lips forming a firm straight line. The commander had also lurched from his seat and stood facing her with a look of understanding in his eyes. No words were needed as Jane began walking out of the room with a purposeful stride, the commander silently following close behind. She made her way to the cells where she had informed the security guards to detain the engineer, her crew members stepping aside as she passed by. Shock and confusion splayed across their faces; they had all seen the murder across their screens, just as she had.


	13. 13 The First Affected

After passing into the lower quarters in the elevator and crossing through several hallways Jane entered the cells and went directly to the one Jacob was held in. She looked through a thick glass door into the small cell; the walls of which were completely white and bare, the only furniture in the small detainment room was a small bed with its corners rounded. It was seemingly floating in the air as the only thing supporting its weight was by its right side firmly attached to the wall. Jacob lay on the bed, his huge muscular form taking up the entire small space. His fingers began twitching and Jane knew that he would soon wake. The stun would only last for a few minutes. The commander came to her side and the two of them peered through the glass towards the murderer.

With a lurch Jacob bolted up into the sitting position, his eyes glazed over, his face completely devoid of emotion. His hazel eyes came to focus directly on Jane as he swung his legs over the bed and stood.

"Jacob, why did you kill Jefferson?" Jane asked in a commanding tone, demanding an answer.

No look of recognition crossed his face as he walked towards the glass door separating him from Jane and the commander. His well defined jaw was relaxed, his lips in a neutral position; it appeared as though he were bored and merely disinterested with the world, not caring one bit that he had just committed murder and was in a holding cell.

He continued walking towards the glass door until he was only a few inches away from Jane, his gaze lowered to connect with hers. He began punching the glass, causing Jane to flinch slightly before regaining control. Again and again he swung his arm towards the door, his motions precise and measured as he hit the glass with his powerful fists as he began to pick up speed. The glass held firm against the blows, knocking back his arm as his knuckles began to bleed from the forcible impacts.

"What's he doing? Is he trying to escape?" The commander asked, unflinching as Jacob continued to pound the glass with his fists, the skin on his knuckles tearing to leave blood smears.

"I don't know." Jane replied, equally confused. It was as if he were trying to hurt her, or just hurt himself, but she couldn't be sure ass expression was completely blank. He wasn't angry, or upset, he was merely complacent. Even as his fists furiously pounded against the glass, tearing skin, most likely breaking bones, he didn't flinch or anything.

Jane was utterly confused by Jacob's actions. Why had he killed Jefferson? What made him do it? Why wasn't he showing any remorse or even any recognition for his actions? He had never had any conflictions with his crewmates before, and though she knew that he had a shady past life she would have never imagined that he would be capable of taking the life of one of his crew mates.

He continued smacking the door, his arms flying wildly even though the glass would not give; he had no chance of escape.

"Jacob, please stop and listen to me." Jane commanded, watching with worry as blood began to stream down the door from his opened knuckles.

He changed tactics and began ramming the door with his right shoulder, forcing all of his weight into the glass partition. The glass began to wobble but Jane was certain it would hold. He rammed again and Jane heard the unmistakeable sound of breaking bones; he had most likely dislocated his shoulder as well from the impact.

"Jacob, it's no use. Please, just explain to me what is going on." She pleaded, hoping that he would stop his bodily harm. He was getting out of control as he threw himself against the door, uncaring of the damages he caused to himself. If she didn't stop him soon, he was going to end up killing himself.

Jacob began ramming his head into the door as well, breaking his nose, his forehead taking the brunt of the blows and beginning to bleed.

Jane took a step back in shock and glanced around her, she and the commander stood in front of the door completely alone. "Should I call the medics?" She asked with worry, glancing back at the blood streaming down Jacob's forehead.

"No."

Jane glanced in amazement at the commander; he stared back at her, his jaw in a hard line. His eyes were steeled against any sympathy he might have felt for the man behind the glass as he stared into Jane's eyes. A look of understanding passed between them.

"He's affected." Jane said with a calm acceptance of fate.

If Jacob were one of the affected, then there was no hope for him. He would attempt to kill anyone he had ever known, including herself, until he himself died. She wondered what would happen to him if he continued to be locked up, unable to kill others.

The commander responded with a curt nod. They both turned back to watch as Jacob continued to bash his body against the glass partition, his face a blank slate as though none of the pain was registering. Jane realized that Jacob was already dead and that was left was of his body was responding to the time paradoxes; its goal to kill anyone he had ever met or spent time with.

The rhythmic banging of Jacob's head against the glass partition set a macabre backdrop as they watched his body slowly sink to the floor, his pounding became less and less forceful.

"The affected is unable to register pain." The commander stated, as if he were a scientist reporting the results of an experiment, not caring at all that they were looking at the results of a real human being who had been taken over, affected, because of the Time Gate.

She knew she had to deal with this as smartly as she could. _That_ was not Jacob, that was an affected. Jacob was gone. 'Unresponsive to questioning." Jane responded in kind.

"When incapable of killing the affected results to bodily harm."

"And eventual suicide, I presume."

The watched in silence as Jacob's movements began to slow until he could no longer hit his head against the door. His eyes stared forwards blankly as his chest stopped rising and falling with the intake and exhale of breath. The entire affair was done without emotion; Jane constantly reminding herself that Jacob had already been dead and the deaths he had committed were not his fault. The air remained still as they stared down at the body for a few moments of complete silence.

"Can the body be touched?" Jane asked, her gaze focused on Jacob's open stare.

"You can't become affected through physical contact; the symptoms are only passed by the results of the alternate universe merging into our own. There is no way of knowing who will be affected next."

"I had almost believed that all of this," Jane said, motioning towards the body, "was fake. That it was all just a dream and no one that I knew personally would actually become affected." She let out a heartless laugh. "It's only going to get worse, isn't it?"

"Yes." The commander stated in an equal state of hopelessness.

Jane set her jaw in grim determination and turned to face the commander. "Then let's put a stop to this."

He stared back at her, his aquamarine eyes lightening to show how he respected her answer as his lips twitched up into a slight smile. "Lets," he confirmed.


	14. 14 Acceleration of Chaos

That night was not a restful one for Jane, and she highly doubted that any member of her crew had gotten a good nights sleep after witnessing the chaos during game before. Jacob's body had been cleaned and then transported to the medical center where the commander had requested to do an in-depth examination of the body. Jane had gladly obliged and left him to do his work as she went about her duties to solve the issues the murders had brought on the ship.

Jefferson's body along with the two medical officers Jacob had killed had been sent off into space through the air lift- the medic with the decapitated limb passing shortly after admittance into the med center. There was no funeral. No service to commemorate the dead.

Her crew had gone about their duties in quiet shock, as if a blanket of blank acceptance had fallen over them, each of them quietly aquiecensing to the fact that four of their crew members had died the night before. None of them knew the reasoning behind Jacob's actions but instead of questioning the matter they went about their duties with a somber attitude. The games seemed to have cast a shadow over everyone aboard the ship as they conversed in whispers, all smiles wiped from their faces.

Jane exited her room and headed towards the bridge; she had to keep up the allusion that all was well in the ship and that the conflict had been taken care of and so out of necessity had spent the night in her room to show that sleep was possible. She had contacted the Star Fleet in order to report the deaths; four crew members dying in a tragic accident. She left the details blank.

The door swept open in front of her from a wave of her wrist and Jane stepped out onto the bridge. Her crew snapped to attention and Jane quickly released them at set them at ease with a brief command. Triss nodded her acquiescence from her corner of the bridge and stood to welcome her.

"Captain," her second in command stated, her yellow eyes examining Jane's appearance with precision. "Were you able to sleep?" She asked with concern.

Jane offered her a wane smile, thinking that even if she could sleep she wouldn't have been able to last night. The realization that anyone on her ship at any time could suddenly become affected was a nightmare to behold. She had rewatched the game and had found the exact time when Jacob had become affected; when his face first became blank and had begun walking down the hallway not caring of the noise he was making.

"I'll be fine. You however, deserve to get some rest. I can take over from here." Jane said, noticing the stress etched across Triss' green face. Her shift the day before had been majorly elongated as Jane had avoided her duties in order to spend time with the commander and experience the games.

After the _event_ Jane had taken control and let Triss get a few hours of rest before she herself had step down and take her break in order to sustain from arousing suspicion. She should be exhausted; she had just fought for two hours before and then she had to deal with the death of four crew members. Jane doubted that Triss had been able to actually rest during her few hours off based on the sallow discoloration of the scales beneath the Treshiss' eyes.

Triss nodded her thanks and swept past her on the bridge, her short red skirt swaying as she descended the stairs. Jane turned her attention in front of her as she waved up her many screens and began to work, an unsettling feeling of doom resting over her head.

Time seemed to pass slowly as she watched their course progress to the outer regions of space towards the Time Gate while she multitasked finding more results of the affected throughout the many planets. She became so enthralled in her work that she didn't notice the commander enter the room. not realizing that he was there until he stepped to her side.

"How did your investigation go?" She asked.

"There were some things that I found that might be of interest to you." He replied in his deep baritone voice.

"Really?" Jane asked, turning to look at the commander. He stood slightly behind her as he watched the screens over her shoulder, wearing his tight uniform and blue captains shirt, his black hair styled into fashionable curls, the bandage that had covered his temple the day before removed. Though his eyes were clear and well focused Jane could make out the darkened bags beneath that told of his sleepless night.

"Upon my examination of his brain I came to the conclusion that all of the pain receptors and nerve systems had been shut off, along with the digestive and immunitive systems. However, his memory and other body functionings seemed to be perfectly in tact."

"So the 'affected' is incapable of feeling pain, fighting off disease, or eating- but has full access to any range of movement that they were capable of before."

"So if they were good at hand to hand fighting or shooting before they were affected, while in the affected state they will be able to access those talents in order to further them in their purpose of destroying everyone around them."

"Sounds pleasant."

The commander responded with a grim smile before his eyes flashed to the screens behind her. "Have you been able to find anything?"

"Only that the affected have been spreading all across the galaxy, and presumably the entire universe- the results of which just suddenly disappear."

"Interesting," he stated, pursing his lips in contemplation.

"Do you think that everyone just forgets the existence of the affected after they die?"

"I suppose we will soon find out. Have Jacob's body constantly monitored by camera and see if anyone starts to forget about the events of last night."

Jane nodded and turned to began typing out her instructions on the screen. "Wouldn't that be nice," she stated tartly, thinking of how favorable it would be if the garish memories were just wiped from everyone's mind and they all forgot about the murders.

After setting the cameras to record the body that was still located in the medical center- its decency respectfully kept under a thin white sheet- Jane noticed an irregularity through her screens. She peered at the crew member that had caught her attention; it was the Lestradeck that she had talked with only a few days before. Ezekiel's three fingered hand was paused in the air, his body not moving, the back of his large white head facing her. Suddenly he lurched out of his seat and turned around, his bug-like eyes open wide, his face devoid of all emotion. Jane felt her stomach drop as she stared in anticipation.

The Lestradeck lunged forwards, hands outstretched to the nearest red-shirted crew member, his sinewy three fingers gripping around her neck in an iron-like grip. Jane shouted and leapt into action, literally leaping off of the bridge and rushing towards Ezekiel, her heart sinking in realization that she was witnessing another one of her crew becoming affected.

She reached Ezekiel and grabbed his slender shoulders to wrench him off of his poor victim, the commander quickly joining her side to grab his flailing arms. Together they wrestled the crew member to the floor as Jane shouted out commands for the security guards to be called for.

The security guards were quick to arrive and handcuff the Lestradeck's arms behind his back, wrenching him upright as his legs flailed wildly in the air. His blank expression was very disturbing to see as he writhed and twisted in an attempt to escape.

"Once you get him in a cell tie him up so that he can't move- I don't want him to be able to do any damage to himself," Jane commanded to the security guards.

The two men in the brown shirts nodded and wrenched the Lestradeck's writhing body away and towards the elevator. The control room was left in absolute silence, the sudden act of violence too distressing to comprehend.

She looked around at her crew's confused faces and saw how they were unable to register what exactly had occurred; Ezekiel had never harmed anyone before and his sudden attack was distressing. She clenched her fingers, unsure of what to say in order to alleviate their concerns as their questioning eyes all made their way to rest on her. Perhaps she could say that Ezekiel had snapped due to the stress of witnessing the murders the night before, but saying such would only make her feel worse. Ezekiel was now dead as well, his body affected by the colliding universes because of the Time Gate.

"Back to work," Jane commanded, feeling shaken but relieved that she hadn't lied. Quickly her crew jumped back into motion as they began furiously typing at their screens once more, too afraid to make eye contact with her after her demand. She knew that they would still question what had made Ezekiel attack, but now they knew that couldn't turn to their captain for answers. Jane solemnly walked back down the row towards the bridge, the commander following close behind.

Once on the bridge she went straight to her screen, noticing urgent messages splayed across them. Reading through them quickly she learned that there had been another attack on her ship, one of her hangar workers had begun attacking his fellow crew members, injuring a few of them before finally being stunned- he was now being transported to the cells.

"Your cells will only be able to hold a small amount of affected before they become overrun."

She felt her stomach lurch in response to his ominous words. _Overrun._ Meaning that there will be more, much more. Her ship overrun by the affected.

Jane swung to face the commander, who had been reading the messages over her shoulder. "And what do you expect me to do instead? Kill them?"

He stared at her gravely, the corners of his lips pulled into a frown. "They are already dead- what's left of them is a killing machine. It's safer to put an end to them now rather than to store them and wait for them to kill us later."

"If we begin killing my crew we will have a mutiny on our hands."

"Then do it discreetly."

Jane paused, disgusted by his suggestion yet understanding the intention. "Don't you believe they can be fixed?" She said softly, her voice layered with a quiet hope. "Once we reach the Time Gate and put everything right?"

The commander clenched his jaw as he stared at her resolutely. "Our main goal is to survive long enough to reach the Time Gate intact, and if that means killing the affected before they kill us, then so be it." His voice was deep and gravelly, his intonation revealing how utterly convinced he was of his statement. "We have several days left, we should leave nothing to chance."

Jane swallowed roughly, understanding the basic need of survival. She knew that if worst came to worst she wouldn't hesitate to fire off a deadly shot that would keep herself or her crew alive, but until then she was determined to keep the kill count to a minimum. There was still plenty of space left in the cells for more of the affected.

She noticed something appear on her screen from the corner of her eye and turned to see another urgent message splayed across a screen, its design different from the ones of the attacking hangar worker. She realized with a start that it was a request for a conference call, from the Admiral.


	15. 15 The New Messages

Jane had almost completely forgotten about the Admiral's involvement in their trials, she had almost begun to believe that only she and the commander were aware of the challenges the universe was facing. She wondered what was going on on the Admiral's planet and whether or not he had encountered any of the affected yet.

It was an urgent call, one that needed to be accepted immediately. She clicked on it and the center screen directly in front of her switched to reveal the Admiral. He stood with a grave expression in front of a black backdrop, his steely grey eyes matching the silver of his uniform as he peered at what Jane knew was an image of herself standing before him.

She snapped to attention, clicking her heels together and bringing her hand to a salute at her brow, noticing that the commander remained standing with his hands behind his back at her side. "Admiral." She acknowledged.

"At ease, Captain." The Admiral responded with a whine, his eyes peering down his long, beak-like nose at her. His eyes then flashed to the right of Jane where the commander stood.

Jane followed his gaze to peer at the commander and watched as he scoffed at the sight of the Admiral's face on the screen and turned his head in impatience. Before she could begin to wonder why the commander had such an adverse reaction to who was on the other end of the conference call the Admiral began to speak.

"How are things progressing, Captain?" He asked in a nasally tone, ignoring the commander's blatant form of disrespect.

"We will arrive at... our destination within a few days," Jane replied, careful to not let any information regarding the Time Gate slip; she wasn't certain how much the Admiral knew about the situation.

"Good," he replied, his eyes flashing with anxiety. "The sooner the better-"

"Is there a reason for your conference call or are you merely checking up on me, Zane?" The commander suddenly blurted, scowling at the screen in distaste.

Jane glanced between the two of them, shocked by his sudden outburst. Zane? She questioned to herself; they know each other on first name basis? Knowing a high ranking official's name was something that was very rare; she doubted that even anyone aboard her own ship knew her name. She realized that she shouldn't be able to know the Admiral's name and was embarrassed that the information had suddenly fallen to her.

The corners of the admiral's lips pulled downwards into a frown and Jane couldn't help but see the similarities between the expressions of the two men as they glared at each other.

"I am ensuring that the two of you will be able to accomplish your task," The Admiral- Zane- retorted in a calm and measured tone, "and assessing whether or not I need to call upon another party in your stead."

"Do you really have another party you can call on do accomplish this task?" The commander responded, his eyes flashing.

The Admiral's lips hardened into a thin line as he steeled his grey eyes towards the commander. "You know my methods. I always have a failsafe."

"But you failed to mention that we are actually the failsafe- your the scientists at the Time Gate have all perished in their attempts to stop the merging." The commander said angrily, his hands clenched into fists.

Jane looked at the commander in shock upon the revelation that there had already been an attempt to stop the universes from colliding and that it had failed. What did that mean for them- would they be able to stop the merging when others before them were killed in the process?

The conversation lulled into silence as the two men glared at each other, until the Admiral's expression began to soften. "I very much regret the steps that have been taken to reach this point, but yes, you are my last resort. I do not prefer having to turn to you for such a high risk assignment but I had no other option," he stated gravely.

"I appreciate your concern."

"As you should, I need not remind you what the consequences will be should you fail."

"Don't tell me you are worried about my capabilities."

"I worry about you constantly."

"How considerate of you."

Jane glanced back and forth between the two men in shock, wondering what exactly was happening. Who was the commander that would make him the man the Admiral would call on in order to save the universe? How do these men know each other so well and why do they act as though they hate each other? She peered at the two of them closely and couldn't help but see many similarities between the two of them.

They both had the same wide arching forehead, though he commander's was mainly obscured by his dark curls and the admiral's hair was cut short. Both men were clean shaven with matching, slender jaws and piercing eyes. There were also differences as the admiral's nose was much larger- arching sharply over his upper lip- while the commander had much more prominent cheekbones, but Jane could see several structural similarities between the two men.

"Have you encountered any of the affected?" Admiral Zane asked, switching the topic of the discussion.

"Three cases, all of which are contained. How are things at the capital?" The commander quickly responded.

"Isolated and quickly detained, though I have not personally encountered a case."

"Of course not, the idea of you actually putting yourself in danger is preposterous. I imagine that you are hiding somewhere in a remote location?"

"Don't be snide. My safety is paramount for the transitioning of affairs once everything settles down- should you succeed- so yes, I am currently in a secure location where I will not be harmed."

"Unless you become affected."

The Admiral's eyes darkened. "Let us hope that it does not come to that."

"I'm certain that your stubbornness will protect you." The commander drawled sardonically.

"I can say the same about you."

"Good, that settles it then. We will both be kept safe due to our obstinate natures," the commander replied, rolling his eyes. "Back to more important matters, have you come up with a more conclusive method of solving our current dilemma?"

"I'm afraid that all of our readings near the location of the Time Gate have all been destroyed; I am not certain of what you will face once you arrive- so I would suggest for you to follow through with out previous plan."

"Just blow it up."

The Admiral appeared to be slightly reproachful once the simpleton method he had ordered for was out in the open.

"Well- I'm glad that I am finally aware of what our mission is for once we arrive." Jane said with a chuckle.

The commander broke his fervent connection to the screen and turned to look at her. "That all depends on what we find; any actions we take will be based on our own discretion."

"So we really have no idea of what we are up against?" She asked.

"All information on this matter is inconclusive as the very idea of a Gate that allows you to travel through time- albeit in an alternate universe- is preposterous." The Admiral stated in exasperation.

The Commander glared towards the screen.

The reality of the situation began to sink in for Jane. The entire universe was going to end, the only people standing in the way of this certain doom was her and the commander. The responsibility they had forced upon them was daunting, and she began to feel that no matter what they tried any attempt they made would be futile. There was no chance of survival for any of them. She shook the dismal thoughts away, knowing that getting depressed wouldn't do anybody any good. She was always an optimist, even the end of the universe shouldn't be able to get her down, she reasoned. Especially since she was immortal and would outlive the universe.

"I'm certain that we will find an equally impossible solution to this impossible dilemma, and everything will soon be back to normal." Jane said jokingly, trying to alleviate the tension they all felt weighing down on them.

The commander let out a dark chuckle in response to her lightheartedness. "Right. Well, Zane, I think that concludes our little meeting, don't you think?" He asked with a tilt of his head towards the screen as a hard smile spread across his lips. "You have nothing to fear, the Captain and I will be able to handle the end of the universe with ease."

The admiral pursed his lips, his grey eyes solemnly peering at them as though it would be the last time he ever set eyes on them. "While it is commendable for such brevity, I hope the two of you don't fail to see the gravity of this situation. Though my conscience shouts against this, I fervently believe that the fate of this universe is left in good hands." He bowed his head towards the two of them.

Jane snapped to attention and saluted the admiral, unsure that she should be appreciative of his high regard towards her or insulted by his two-sided compliment. The screen suddenly went blank as the admiral ended the call. She turned towards the commander, eager to question him about his plans.

"Just blow it up, huh?" Jane asked coquettishly, placing a hand on her hip.

He offered her a shy smile. "You do have missiles on this ship... right?"

Jane laughed. "Yes, though you most likely already knew that."

"Of course."

"What if I don't think that blowing up the Time Gate is the best option?"

"I would then remind you that I have a more accurate opinion on what would and wouldn't work with regards to the Time Gate." He stated, folding his arms.

Jane copied his position and folded her arms as well. "What makes you think that you have the more accurate opinion?"

"I've had more experience with time travel than you."

"Oh I highly doubt that. Don't you know that I'm a time traveller?" Jane asked, tilting her head to the side as a wide smile spread across her lips.

He blinked in confusion before raising an eyebrow. "Oh?"

"Yes." Jane said with a smirk. "I move forwards in time at the rate of one second every second."

He laughed out loud.

Jane paused, a strange thought suddenly striking her: if she were going to spend the end of the universe with one person then she was immensely lucky that it would be with the commander. Though the stress of the last twenty-four hours was written across his face his eyes were alight with a bright fire, giving Jane hope that everything might just turn out alright.

Her attention was drawn away from his handsome features as a message popped up on one of her screens. She was brought back into reality as she read the report; of one of the janitors in the cafeteria had suddenly strangled a co-worker to death before the security guards had arrived to the scene. Jane typed the janitor's name into the screen and his face appeared; his picture stared forwards with brown eyes that matched his long braided hair that fell down his back. She recognized him as the same Adam that had completed the shooting range the day before. She marvelled at how only a day had passed since the games; it felt like a lifetime ago.

She set the computer to search for him throughout the ship as every camera engaged in the face detection software and a livestream was brought up on her screen. It showed the hallway between the cafeteria and the other recreational areas on the ship on the level above the arena. Two security guards were holding onto Adam's handcuffed hands as he thrashed and writhed to get free; their attempts to walk through the hallway thwarted by his furious movements. Two more crew members with brown uniforms approached from down the hallway to assist as a small crowd began to form.

"They're becoming more frequent." The commander observed from over her shoulder.

Jane frowned at the screen as she watched two medics somberly leave the cafeteria carrying a stretcher between them, a dark sheet draped over the body they were transporting. "As time progresses the more frequent the affections." Jane stated, feeling a lump form in her throat.

"Apparently." The commander agreed.

"They need to be warned."

"Discreetly." He advised.

She lifted her hands to the screen and began typing, her fingers flying as she broadcasted a message throughout the entire ship, informing her crew to expect a ship-wide broadcast from their captain in the next few minutes. She then began setting up the details for the transportation of her message.

She held her finger above the button that would begin the recording as the commander took a step to the side, out of the camera's view. She then slowly lowered her hand, unsure of herself. "Do you have any ideas on what I should say?"

He raised his eyebrow at her. "Why don't you just go ahead and inform your crew that anyone they know might suddenly turn into a mass murderer and kill them at any given time, that their families have most likely already been brutally murdered, and that the universe is about to end?" He replied sarcastically, his baritone voice taking on a menacing drawl.

"Well, that's a little macabre, isn't it?" Jane said, unsettled by his brash statement.

"Distressing, to say the least."

"But not very discreet."

"Really?" He asked sarcastically.

Jane sighed but she couldn't help but be amused by his dark sense of humor. He knew full well that letting the crew know the truth while they were trapped on a spaceship in the depths of space with no escape- they were now far from any civilization that would be able to help them- would be the worst possible thing for them to do. Chaos would erupt and things would be much worse than if things were kept... discreet.

Jane stood straighter with a lift of her head in determination before she clicked on the record button, knowing that there was no way she could tell the complete truth of the situation but she could at least give her crew a warning to what they would be up against.

"This is your Captain speaking." Jane said into the screen, seeing a broadcast of herself appear on the corners of every screen in the control room below her.

"That was a bit redundant." She heard the commander whisper from off to the side; she had to do all that she could in order to stifle a laugh. The message she was about to give was intensely serious and could not be delivered with a smile. She was heartened, however, that amidst the gloom of the disparaging future she was still able to joke around, but now was not the time.

"In light of recent circumstances a new procedure will be put into place," she began, thinking quickly. "When you are off duty you will be required to return immediately to your personal rooms, alone, and lock the door. You will stay in your room until the time of your shift when you can return to your duties. I understand that your lack of freedom will be challenging, but your seclusion is a precaution for your safety.

"I am aware that the recent, inexplicable attacks have been distressing, but I am here to inform you that no one on this ship is to blame for the recent deaths." She stopped herself from pressing the subject, knowing that she had already said too much. She then switched tactics.

"Should you witness a fellow crew member begin to show signs of aggression, report it immediately, and get as far away from them as possible. I want you all to be kept safe, so the new procedures will be put into place immediately. If you are off duty promptly make your way to your private quarters and lock the door behind you.

"If you find these restrictions unbearable, there is another option for you. The cafeteria will be closed but people still need to eat while on their breaks; orders for your meals can be made through the screens in your rooms but there needs to be someone to deliver the meals. If you choose not to lock yourself in your room you do have the option of transporting the meals in order to help the process, but I'm afraid those are your only two options while off duty.

"Thank you for your cooperation in the matter, I can promise that these precautions will only be temporary and I ask all of you to bear with me in patience.

"Should there be any refusals to follow through with these orders you will be detained in the cells," she said as a side note, harshness edged in her voice. "Thank you for your time."

Jane clicked on the screen and watched as it went blank, the transmission ended. She sighed in relief, gladdened that she had been able to do something that might help lower the casualties.

"By keeping them separated and contained if they become affected there wouldn't be easy access to unknowing victims." The commander said as he stared at her with respect, obviously impressed by her methods of keeping her crew safe. His eyes then darkened.

"But what about those on duty?" He asked, motioning towards the control room at the dozens of crew members with bright red shirts lined up in rows below them.

She knew that the ship would be a lot safer now that her crew would no longer be able to mill around the cafeteria and lounge areas when an affected might attack unexpectedly; but she could do nothing about the people who would be forced to remain in their positions for the duration of their shift.

"The ship has to continue running, but at least those off duty will be kept safe." Jane stated with remorse as she looked at her crew.

"You'd make a good admiral. Have you ever thought of increasing your rank?" The commander stated.

Jane whisked around to peer at him in confusion, unsure of where the compliment had come from. He was peering at her intently, his hands held behind his back as he slightly leaned towards her.

"I prefer having my freedom." She stated with a shrug. "Being stuck behind a desk isn't as appealing as exploring the universe and getting into dangerous situations."

"Even when you are faced in situations such as this?"

"Especially at these times."

His eyes gleamed as he peered at her with interest. "Because you know that you are the best suited for the most dangerous situations and would have no one else take your place."

Jane gaped at him, wondering how he could have possibly known that, until realization hit. "So I take it that you are the same?"

His lips spread into a sly smile. "Precisely."


	16. 16 Distrust

Damian set the scalpel down on the table beside the Lestradeck's body with a sigh. It was the same Lestradeck that had become affected in the control room earlier that day. After the first captured affected, Jason, had killed himself once he was no longer able to kill others, they had decided to put the alien into a strait jacket, hopeful that it would keep him safe. Unfortunately, he had still managed to commit suicide by swallowing his tongue.

The alien's head was cut open, the bright green brain luminescent in the open. He had found several similarities between this brain and the other brains of the affecteds he had researched, but he still hadn't found a cause for why they had been affected.

He turned when he heard someone enter the room, his eyes briefly glancing over Jason's body in the corner that was covered by a thin sheet. The same medical officer who had led him out of the arena the day before entered the room, his expression haggard. They were in a private medical room where Damian had commandeered complete privacy while he had examined the cadavers and up until this point he hadn't been interrupted.

"There's been another death," the man stated wearily.

"One of the prisoners?" Damian asked hopefully. He would much rather prefer the death of an affected rather than having another innocent victim being killed because of one.

"Don't sound so pleased about it." The medic scoffed in disgust. "But yes, another prisoner."

"How did he die?"

"Asphyxiation."

Damian picked up a sheet and draped it over the body he was working on. He was relieved that there hadn't been another attack. "Go ahead and bring him in."

There was a moment of silence. Damian continued cleaning up his area.

"What's going on?" The medic's tone was accusatory.

Damian glanced up towards the medic and peered at him quizzically.

"Ever since you got here there have been seven deaths and now everything is in lockdown." The medic's eyes were narrowed into slits. "We've never had that many deaths on our ship before, and none of our crew have ever had any inclinations towards wanting to harm another crew member- until you arrived."

"Are you blaming me for these attacks?" Damian stated as he stepped around his workstation.

The medic crossed his arms over his chest. "I might be. Unless you have anything to say for yourself I will deem you to be an enemy to this ship."

Damian approached the medic and stopped directly in front of him. He towered over the short man, knowing that his height was to his advantage. "You have no authority to do anything to me."

The medic stared up at him in determination. "Then I will act of my own accord."

"That would not be advisable." Damian clenched his fingers into fists. "The Captain has complete trust in me. I am in no way responsible for the deaths that have occurred while I have been here."

The medic broke eye contact and looked away, his jaw clenched. "I'll bring in the body then."

Damian exited the medical room after thoroughly examining the last body that was brought into him, finding the exact same similarities as in the other cadaver's brains. He had learned that even though once affected the victim would have no control over their actions, their memories would still be accessible. Meaning that whatever talent they had in regard to combat was accessible. He was worried about what might happen once more affected would break out and attack, as they would have full fighting and shooting capabilities and no reaction to pain.

He decided to do a few rounds throughout the ship to see how the crew were doing in light of recent occurrences. He wasn't needed anywhere else. The captain hadn't messaged him recently, so he figured that she didn't need his help. He was starting to like the captain, which was something that he had not intended to do. The universe was about to end, it wasn't time for him to engage in a romantic relationship as the fate of the universe was held in his hands. And her hands, he mused.

The abandoned hallway felt eery as Damian made his way to the elevator, the solitude a drastic change from the day before when the hallways had been bustling with life. How they were before the attacks.

He exited the lift on one of the higher levels and was pleased to see a few crew members bustling down the hallway going about their duties, their uniforms primarily pink and yellow. He made his way to the first doorway to his right and peeked in at the engineers going about their work. It was the same room that he had first met Jacob, and the memory caused him to feel a twinge of pain as the spot that the muscular engineer had once manned was instead filled by another man. A humanoid with the face of a frog turned to look at him as he peered through the doorway, her wide eyes squinting with distrust towards him. Damian glanced at her in confusion. He wondered if everyone aboard the ship was blaming him for the attacks.

A few other workers also paused to look at him, each one of them showing some form of distrust before hurriedly glancing away. Damian understood their distrust, thinking back to the conversation he had had with the medic. The attacks hadn't happened to them until he had arrived, but they wouldn't know that there had already been affected throughout the universe for at least two days before he had arrived. Naturally they would connect the dots and label him as the culprit who brought on these attacks.

He left the doorway and made his way down the hallway once more, and was surprised to hear a loud commotion breaking out in a large room at the end of the hall. He pressed forwards, extremely curious but was too far away to determine what the noise was as the hallway was extremely long. He heard running coming from behind him and pressed against the wall just in time for two large security guards to race past him, sprinting quickly towards the commotion. Damian felt a lurch in his gut as he realized that there must be another attack going on, so he also began to run after the brown uniformed crew members.

The security guards entered the room long before he did, but as he ran he heard the noise of hand to hand fighting and the unmistakable sound of a laser firing off accompanied by a bloodcurdling scream. He hoped that it was one of the guards incapacitating the affected, as no one besides the guards were allowed to carry firearms while aboard the ship. More screaming came from the room as he heard more blasts going off, cutting of the screaming instantly.

He skidded around the corner to the open doorway where the sounds were emanating from and immediately ducked back into the hallway as a laser shot out towards him. The sight he had seen was utterly horrifying. The brief glance he had caught was enough to inform him that the security guards had not been successful in catching the affected and instead had been blasted to bits- presumably by their own guns.

He leaned back against the wall in order to formulate a plan, his heart beating rapidly in his chest. Already two more security guards were heading his way, but it would be too dangerous for them to engage the affected as he had a weapon of his own, which he had already used. He heard a few more shots going off, undoubtedly killing the rest of the workers who had been trapped in the room. Damian knew that the best option for him to do was to wait; he had no weapon and as soon as he peeked his head around the corner he would be blasted to smithereens.

The two security guards rushed towards him with incredible speed, holding their lasers at the ready. The noise inside of the room began to stop as the shots ceased to fire, the only noise heard was the nearing footsteps. Crew members were crowded around the doorways, their faces full of shock and confusion as they stepped aside for the large brown-uniformed men that streaked past them. Damian knew that they wouldn't be safe mingling in the hallways once the affected left the room and began firing at them, but he hoped fervently that it wouldn't come to that.

Finally the guards arrived and Damian held out his arm to keep them from stepping past him and into the sight of the affected, but they pushed past him and into the doorway. Immediately a red light sped through the air and from his position Damian was able to see the scene unfold in front of him perfectly. The laser hit the first guard in his chest, causing blood to spurt everywhere and leaving a gaping hole. The other guard instantly leapt out of the open to the opposite side of the doorway, his jaw clenched as he watched the body fall to the ground. The guard's blue eyes connected with Damian's as he raised his weapon at the ready. The guard's strong jaw was thrust forwards in determination as they listened to the unmistakable sounds of approaching footsteps.

Suddenly the affected appeared; seemingly just a regular technician besides the bright red stains across his pink uniform and the gun held at the ready in front of him. His back faced Damian, his bald head gleaming yellow. Seeing his chance and without a second to waste Damian lunged forwards to grab the affected from behind, reaching one arm around his neck as he jammed his other hand up to hit the arm that held the laser. A flash of red erupted in front of him before he wrenched the affected's arm in the air and tried to wrestle the weapon from him.

The affected turned to face him, his face eerily familiar and strange as they both grappled for the gun, his expression entirely devoid of emotion. Damian recognized him from the games. It was Zach, the one who had gotten the second best score in the shooting range and who had also participated in Last Man's Standing. No wonder why he had been able to get the security guard's gun and was able to aim so accurately. His black eyes stared directly ahead as the vertical gash for his mouth was slightly opened, his relaxed expression a perplexing combination to his rapid movements fighting get the gun away from Damian.

Damian wrenched his arm downwards between the two of them and tried to wrench the laser away, realizing that it was now pointed towards his own chest. He swiftly brought up his knee to the affected's side when suddenly bright red exploded all around him.

Red mist settled all around him, his eyes blinded by the blood red color, a warm liquid completely drenching his face and chest. He brought his hands to his chest, expecting to feel a wide gaping hole where his heart once was, but instead felt the familiar muscles where they should be, his hands becoming sticky and warm from the liquid splattered across his uniform. He tried blinking away the red but it remained, dripping off of his eyelashes and spread across the once white walls. He looked down and saw the affected lying in a heap, its strange expression completely blown off along with most of the rest of his head.

He quickly glanced around him at all of the gaping spectators who had just witnessed him murder the technician, his eyes resting on the body of the security guard who had hid with him outside of the doorway- his head also mostly decapitated. He looked away from the gruesome sight and rubbed his hands on his sides in order to wipe off the sticky blood that had settled on him. He looked inside of the room to see if there were any survivors, but all to be seen among the consoles were bodies lying on the floor, their blood pooling together into a massive puddle.

He turned away from the open doorway and began heading down the hallway and did his best to ignore the stares he was receiving. He wiped his slimy hair off of his forehead and wrinkled his nose in disgust as he picked out a chunk of flesh from his curls. He dropped it to the ground as he continued down the hallway, rubbing his blood stained face with his equally sticky hands and realizing that he wasn't going to get clean until he took a shower. It wasn't his responsibility to pick up the mess that had been wreaked by the affected, and besides, he had done enough by eliminating the threat. For now.


	17. 17 The Color Purple

Damian entered the control room and headed straight for the bridge. After his little incident earlier that day he had headed straight for his room to shower. Now, fresh and clean, he expectantly looked up at the circular area of the bridge to see the captain swiftly skimming through all of her screens. He went up the white stairs, noticing that the captain's hair was hanging down her back in a loose braid, recently wet.

The scent of roses lazily drifted through the air, its flavor very faint yet distinguishable. He took in a deep inhalation of air, the sweet scent wafting towards him. Glancing at the captain's damp hair, he put two and two together, realizing that the scent was from her shampoo. He wondered if he should mention the change of shampoo, perhaps making a complement in her choice, as he preferred the scent of roses rather than the previous aroma of lemon. He immediately dismissed the thought-it was much too personal, it would be indecent for him to mention that he had remembered what she smelled like. It wasn't something a stranger, an intruder, like him to mention.

As he approached he knew that he should probably say something as an introduction to his arrival, his thoughts primarily caught up on her scent and the fact that she had showered. The last time he had seen her she was perfectly clean, so something must have happened to warrant the change. She wasn't the only one forced to take a shower recently, he thought morbidly, thinking about the way the water had blended with blood into a crimson puddle around his feet as he washed the remains of the crew member out of his hair.

"Did you have to shower off human body parts as well?" he blurted as he came to her side, immediately biting his tongue. He felt the tips of his ears begin to burn as he realized how insensate and inappropriate the question was.

She gave him a sideways glance, her eyes full of mirth as the corners of her mouth pulled up slightly. "Not exactly." An impish smile spread across her lips as she continued to motion towards her screens, apparently nonplussed by his obscene question.

Damian felt the flame spread to his cheeks, and he desperately hoped that his blush wasn't noticeable. He hadn't ever been so clumsy around anyone before; he never faltered or stumbled through any actions, let alone simple introductions. Something about the captain was making him feel tongue tied, causing his stomach to do twists and turns like an acrobat as he watched her slender hands move rapidly in the air.

"We did have an attack up here," she began to explain, her attention focused ahead, "but it wasn't as bad as your encounter. Luckily there are no weapons here in the control room."

He held his arms behind his back and shifted his weight on his feet. "So you saw that then."

She stopped moving through the screens and turned to face him. "Of course." Her expression was unreadable, her eyes sparkling sapphires of blue as she gazed at him.

Damian felt as though he couldn't breathe as he stared into her eyes, all of his thoughts turning to mush. In the very fringe of his mind a small idea began to spread, like the Lilliputian chime of a bell, barely distinguishable from the orchestral chorus of thoughts. _She cares about you, _it rang, the idea small but formidable as it crowded out the rest of his thoughts. He did his best to shove it down, reasoning with himself that the captain had merely been checking up on her crew, not watching after him and worrying about his safety; her only intention was to examine the results of the attack.

"Thank you, by the way, for taking care of the affected," the captain said appraisingly. "You did an excellent job, though you left quite a mess..."

"Hey," he defended, feeling affronted; "not all of the _mess_ was my fault. As I recall, I mainly got myself splattered, everything else was the affected's doing. However, picking flesh out of my hair was never my intention in order to spare your ship's walls and floors."

The captain laughed, the pleasant notes tinkling through the air. "You and I are one and the same. I also submitted myself in order to keep the ship clean, though it was mainly due to being in the wrong place at the wrong time. The affected up here began attacking one of the crew, and after he was detained his poor victim vomited all over me."

Damian chuckled. "I never thought I'd say this, but I'm envious that you got vomited on. I would have preferred that."

The captain smiled as well, making the acrobat in Damian's gut do even more elaborate twists and leaps, his eyes drawn to the captain's parted lips. They were smooth and full, revealing perfectly straight and blindingly white teeth, her smile genuine. Quickly he turned his gaze away, cursing himself for becoming attracted to her especially during such a disturbing and disgusting conversation.

Damian's attention was drawn to the large window at the forefront of the ship, the only thing separating them from the space beyond. What he was accustomed to seeing was pitch black space spaced with a few white stars and omni colorful planets, but now as he looked out the window something was off. The coloring was different; space had always been black, but now it almost seemed purple.

"Do you notice anything different?" Damian asked, changing the subject as he looked out the large window that expanded the entire width of the control room.

The captain followed his gaze to look out into space. "The coloring is off, it has been for the past few hours," she affirmed. "Which is strange, as 'space' isn't really an object, so how can it be possible that it changed color?"

He clenched his fingers, a feeling of dread settling deep within the pit of his stomach. If the color of _space_ itself was beginning to change, there was no telling what else was happening within the universe that would have drastic repercussions. He hoped that due to the fact that they were almost near the Time Gate was the reason why the coloring was different, hopefully it hadn't spread throughout the rest of the universe. "We must be getting close."

She turned to raise an eyebrow at him. "I can accept the fact that colliding universes create anomalies where people suddenly start killing each other if their timelines had become affected in the alternate realm," she claimed sardonically, irony tilting her words, "but changing the color of space? That's a little bit over the top," she stated incredulously.

Damian shrugged. "Don't ask me, I didn't know this would happen."

"Oh well," the captain sighed. "At least I like the color purple."

He grinned at her naivety as she began scrolling through her screens once more. He loved her sense of humor, the way that she was able to take in their drastic situation and dismiss the impossible, focusing on the bright side. He certainly was blessed that this captain had been the one he had been assigned to. Perhaps he would thank his brother later for sending him to her, though he couldn't recall a single time when he had thanked his older brother for anything he had done for him before.

He looked all around him and noticed that the crew members below him were going about their work in a much slower pace than what he had seen them exhibit earlier, their expressions morose. He couldn't blame them for their negativity, as it would be very disheartening to witness their fellow crew mates start to kill each other for no apparent reason. He felt slightly ashamed for laughing and finding merriment in this situation, especially since he had a deeper understanding than the crew. They only knew of the attacks within their ship, they had no idea that such attacks were happening all throughout the universe and would continue to happen until everyone was dead, their universe completely destroyed. They didn't feel the pressure of that knowledge, they didn't know that they were everyone's last hope. And yet, here he was, buoyed up by the captain's brevity and charm, willing to remain optimistic no matter the obstacles they faced. Together.

The captain swept her arm to the side, bringing up another screen and sending it towards him, drawing Damian out of his reverie. "Here," she said, pointing at the screen. Damian nodded his thanks and positioned the screen more comfortably in front of him as he began doing his own searches, figuring out how long it would take for them to arrive. They were now well into the outer rim of the universe and far away from any civilizations, the Time Gate only a day or so away. He felt a bit inadequate as he was working on only one screen, while dozens surrounded the captain, her attention focused on them all at once.

They passed the time in silence, able to see what the other was working on while doing their own work in companionable silence. A few messages popped up on the screens, informing them of the disturbances on the ship, which continued to increase with alarming rapidity. There was nothing they could do except monitor and watch, too far away to intervene as the ship was so large. The captain had deadbolted the bedrooms the crew members who were off duty were staying in, and on a few of her screens she shifted through the images of their footage to determine whether any of them were experiencing signs of being affected. Damian copied her, searching through each room and monitoring the crew. He felt very comfortable standing by the captain, the two of them doing their best to keep things under control. He began musing about their future, and what they were going to do after they saved the universe, if they succeeded. He wouldn't mind spending more time with the captain, perhaps even becoming a permanent part of her ship.

Suddenly the captain halted, staring through the screens towards one of the crew members below. Alarmed, Damian followed her gaze, expecting to see one of the crew in their red shirts suddenly begin to attack. Instead, everything appeared normal. He tensed, expecting the worst, wondering what could have caught her attention.

"Sara what is that on your screen?" the captain asked in a demanding tone, her voice carrying out through the unusually quiet room.

Damian peered through his own screen at the woman the captain addressed, wondering how the captain had been able to monitor what was going on beneath her when she was already working with several screens of her own. He couldn't help but be amazed at the captain's range of multitasking.

The woman she addressed, Sara, turned in her chair, her expression full of chagrin and fright. Damian peered at her screen, seeing strange markings: circles intertwining with intricate designs that filled the entire screen.

"I- I'm not sure," the woman stuttered anxiously, trying desperately to fix her screen as her fingers flied through the air.

The captain swiped away all of her screens, including Damian's, and she walked to the edge of the circular platform, calmly resting her hand on it before jumping down to the level below and making her way to the crew member. The rest of the crew stopped what they were doing to turn and stare, each of them curious of the interruption.

The captain leaned over Sara's chair to stare at her screen, her expression out of Damian's sight. Suddenly she stood straight and turned to look across the room at another worker.

"Gregory I need you to do a scan of the area and search for anything giving off a signal." She began walking through the rows.

"I've got something, captain, and I'm locking onto its signal." Gregory stated as his fingers flew across his screen.

Damian watched her with interest, noting her calm manner. He wondered if it was all an act, perhaps something was going deadly wrong and the captain was merely acting as if in control in order to keep her crew from becoming afraid. Unknowing what to do, he stood resolute, crossing his arms over his chest and watching her movements in order to determine what could be amiss. There shouldn't be anything this far out in space that would be giving off a signal, unless it was something due to the results of the Time Gate. If things could be disappearing in this universe, the records of the affected just passing out of existence, then could there also be things that appeared into their realm from the other universe?

"Jazmine I need you to bring up the transmission," the captain ordered to a dark haired woman that she approached, walking to her side and peering over her shoulder. The woman began to type across her screen.

Suddenly a loud whirring noise reverberated throughout the room as Jazmine opened the transmission, the distant sound of yelling was heard over the intercom. Damian was stunned. There must be another ship this far out in order to be transmitting, and from the sounds there must be life aboard and they were in trouble, the shouting barely heard beneath the overbearing sounds of grinding and air whooshing.

"Open up communications between us and the signal and send it to the bridge," the captain shouted as an order, turning to run back to the bridge. She easily jumped to the circular platform and vaulted herself up to stand in the center of the platform. She brought up a solitary screen and opened up the transmission. Blurry lines clouded the screen as the whirling sounds continued, the shouting became more distinct and Damian made out at least two people, a man and a woman.

"Doctor!" the captain shouted. Damian looked at her in shock, wondering if she was calling for a medic. The term "Doctor" hadn't been in use for centuries now, either calling those of that profession healers or medics. He glanced around him, noticing the anxious faces of the crew as they watched the two of them on the bridge. Did she want him to go get her a medic? He glanced back at her expectantly.

"Doctor?" she repeated again, peering into the blurred lines of the screen as the picture began to clarify. Finally Damian comprehended that she was calling into the transmission, hoping for a reply. Did that mean that she knew who was aboard the ship? The idea was ridiculous, there shouldn't even be another ship this far out, and there was no way that she could have known about it or even knew who was aboard it, could she? Or was "doctor" a secret code, one that he hadn't heard before? That reality seemed more accurate.

The screen began to clarify, blue and green lights flashing as the image rumbled and slowly began to settle, the whirling sounds diminishing over the intercom. The shouting also stopped as all of the movements ceased, revealing a clear image of an open room and far wall made of strange metal. Damian peered into the screen, realizing that he must be looking at the interior of the ship they had miraculously found.

"Doctor," the captain commanded once more, expecting a reply. Damian glanced at her, wondering what could possibly be going on, but she offered him no explanation as she stared at the screen in determination.


	18. 18 The Promise

"Doctor who?" a muffled shout came over the intercom, the voice obviously male. "Can't you see that I'm a bit busy trying not to be obliterated by a black hole?"

Damian stared at the screen in shock, completely flabbergasted. The man spoke english, which wasn't too rare as English was the international form of communication, but his statement made no sense as there were no black holes anywhere near their location,

A man appeared on the screen, pushing himself off of the ground to his feet. He quickly moved out of the line of sight, his appearance a blur. He continued talking, his voice determining his age to be in his twenties or thirties. "It seems as though I entered an entirely different reality-a different universe, and none of this is making any sense!" he shouted as the sounds of knobs being frantically pulled and buttons pushed transmitted over the intercom.

"Doctor..." the captain said in frustration.

"How do you know who I am?!" the man shouted. Suddenly the man's face appeared on the screen once more, his jaw big and square and too large as he was holding it far too close to the camera. His eyes were frantic as he stared into his screen, his long brown hair in tangles all around his head.

Damian connected the dots, realizing that the man's name must have been "doctor," which was extremely strange, but stranger still was the fact that the captain had known who the strange man on a spaceship out in the depths of space was.

The man's eyebrows extended up high as he caught sight of the captain, his face lighting up into a wide smile. "Jane!" He shouted excitedly, clapping his hands together.

Damian glanced at the captain, wondering if that was her real name or if the man had mistaken her. Instead he was met with the captain smiling openly at the screen, not denying his claim, and instead smiling as if in acknowledgement. The pieces of the situation, though shattered, began to fall into place as Damian's mind grasped for clarity. The two of them recognized each other? he wondered in speculation, the entire impossibility of their situation making his head begin to buzz in discomfort.

The man-the doctor's-expression then turned into confusion as he looked beyond the camera, looking at something on his side of the line, "but what are you doing here?" His flashing eyes then looked back into the screen, his voice laced with confusion; "where are we exactly?"

A scoff of incredulity almost escaped from Damian's lips as he questioned how someone at the edge of the universe could have gotten there without knowing their location. He glanced at the captain, hoping for some sort of clarification, but instead he was completely ignored.

"I'll tell you that once you arrive," the captain responded briskly before looking past her screen. "Gregory I need you to send our coordinates to their ship, along with a map of our spaceship."

Damian stared at the captain incredulously, wondering why she was giving out their coordinates and layout-if that information were given to an enemy ship it would be severely detrimental to their safety. None of this was making sense, the entire past five minutes seeming as a dream.

Suddenly on the screen a short woman appeared, bumping the man off to the side so that she could see the screen. She had a petite, oval shaped face and wide brown eyes, her straight brown hair hung loosely around her shoulders. Her red lips pulled into a smile as she recognized the captain. "Jane!" she exclaimed happily. The man disappeared from the screen and the noise of button pressing resumed.

"Hello Clara," The captain-Jane-responded with a smile of her own. Here was another person who knew the captains name, who were they? Damian wondered.

"Ok, I got the coordinates and the map!" the man shouted from off screen. "Where should I land?"

"Room 483. See you soon." Jane swiped her arm through the air and the screen disappeared.

Now was a time for an explanation, Damian thought deservedly. He tried to make eye contact with the captain, aiming for a confrontation, but instead she ignored his gaze and swept past him. He reeled in shock from her blatant display of cold shoulder, before following after her in anger. He had a right to know what was going on, and he had several questions he wanted answered. Who were the strange couple from the transmission, what were they doing so far out in space, what was the 'doctor' talking about when he mentioned black holes and different universes. How did they know her, and how she them? How did she expect them to land in a room of their ship, were they just going to appear _magically_, and why did she give them a map of their ship? How far away were they and where was their transmission coming from?

Once the doors slid shut behind them on the elevator, Damian confronted her. "Who are they?" he asked, asking the most pertinent question.

"Old friends." Her nose crinkled in confusion, "Well, he's an old friend, I don't know where in Clara's timeline I am, though she recognized me, so that's a good sign."

He bristled in frustration, taking a step closer to her. "What is that supposed to mean?"

She bit her lower lip, staring up at him with wide eyes as if she were afraid of his reaction. Damian realized that he was standing over her, much too close for comfort, his fists clenched and nostrils flared in anger. She hadn't cowered or taken a step back, instead remained standing, her posture submissive. Realizing how confrontational he was behaving, he relented and took a step back, unclenching his fingers. "How do you know them?" he asked softer, though frustration still seeped into his voice.

"I know them from an alternate universe," she responded, her tone even.

He examined her face to see if she was telling the truth; her eyes were sincere, her expression genuine. She wasn't lying.

"I can't tell you how I came to be in this universe, as honestly I'm not quite sure myself. But these people are good friends of mine, and I trust them with my life, and theirs with me. They'll be able to help us." She looked up to him with determination.

Damian was unsure of how to respond, it felt as though his entire presumption about who the captain really was had been flipped on its head. The revelation that she was from an alternate universe was frightening and eerie, making him feel as though his feelings for her were unjust and wrong. 

The doors to the lift opened, but instead of leaving the captain peered at him, waiting for a response. Damian felt sick to his stomach, unsure of himself. Certainly their entire predicament was impossible: colliding universes, affected going on killing rampages, purple space, the end of the universe. Was she from the universe that the time travellers had altered, and she had somehow snuck through? Were people like her going to take over their universe, letting them all kill each other as they became affected, as she and her others took over the remains?

She stretched out a hand and rested it on his chest, her light touch making him flinch. Her expression was torn between confusion and sadness from his adverse reaction, but she kept her hand in place.

"I'm not from the altered universe," she said softly, somehow reading his mind. "Mine is a much older, ancient one, long gone now." Her blue eyes began to fill with sadness.

Damian hadn't realized before how old her eyes had looked, the blue pools seemingly stretching into infinity, the color deep and pure. His heart began to wrench in two for the sadness she felt, the grief and pain seeping through her fingers into his chest.

He wondered what it would be like to be part of one world, with family, and friends, before being launched into a completely different universe, leaving everything behind. He wasn't sure exactly how long ago she had been taken from that universe, but he knew that she had at least been here for eight years. He wondered how that could have happened, how she could be here, and why her friends were now here.

"My friends must have been pulled into this universe; their ship relies on time energy, and they must have been dragged through time and space by the large Time emissions coming from the Time Gate," she said. "As the universes collide there must be a huge displacement of time energy due to all of the altercations wrought by the gate, and their ship would have been drawn into it. They shouldn't be here. I can't let them get hurt, and while they might be able to help us, I have to somehow put them back where they belong."

Her voice was soft and soothing, though tinged with determination and conviction. Damian stared into her ancient eyes, his brain still unsure of what to think or to do, but his heart was pumping furiously beneath her fingertips as he realized that he would do whatever he could to help her, even if it meant risking his life to protect her friends that would be strangers to him.

"What do you need me to do?"

"I need you to keep them safe. They _have_ to get back to their own time, their own universe. They can't die here. I'm sorry that I haven't told you of them before, or about who I really am. But I need you to promise to keep them safe. For me." She looked up to him with wide, pleading eyes.

"I promise."

She offered him a thin smile, her eyes lighting up in eagerness. She stepped up onto her toes, putting her face close to his before giving him a modest kiss on his lips. His lips tingled upon her release as she took a step back and let her hand to fall away from his chest. He felt whole, complete, and defined; a feeling so unlike the solitude he had wrapped himself with his entire life. Though the captain was from a different universe, her background shrouded in mystery, her talents endless, she was his partner. _Partner._ Till the ends of the universe.


	19. 19 Doctor Who?

Jane turned to face the long open hallway that was completely abandoned. Her thoughts were perturbed by the sudden appearance of the doctor; he shouldn't be here. That universe had ended long ago, this blip in their timeline should never have happened.

She was ancient, immortal, continually living even though the universes around her ended, each one disappearing into oblivion as new universes were created. Now that the doctor had appeared, her secret of immortality might be revealed.

The Doctor was the only one who knew her secret. He had been the first face she had ever seen, and throughout her millions of years of existence on the planet earth and through the course of his time protecting that universe he would visit her. Like everything around her, he had eventually died and she had moved on to the next universe. She had no knowledge of him entering an alternate universe and meeting herself, and she prided herself in knowing every adventure the Doctor went on as she watched him through the years; his faces and companions continually changing as the man himself remained the same.

Time could always be rewritten, which would be a terribly drastic thing should the Doctor die while he was here on this alternate universe. The whole of existence would be jeopardized upon his untimely death should he die here, which was a terrifying concept to realize. Jane knew that she had to do whatever she could to keep him safe from harm and send him back into his own universe and timeline, which would prove to be difficult as her universe was about to end and the Doctor had suddenly been dragged into the mix.

She looked to her right where her tall companion waited, the color of his eyes aquamarine as he waited for her to move forwards. She knew that it was unfair to keep him in the dark concerning who her friends were and who she truly was. He had been honest with her when he explained to her about the colliding universes, which would have been a daunting thing to comprehend for any regular person. Though he had no way of knowing what was in store for him, he seemed determined to go through with whatever she needed him to do.

She couldn't help but feel affection towards his loyalty. He was willing to put his trust in her even though he had just learned that she wasn't originally from his universe. She offered him a wane smile, knowing that her kiss had probably been enough to show him her appreciation. His cupid bow lips reciprocated her smile as they slightly pulled upwards in response, an expression of affection but not of happiness. He was still confused, deep lines were etched into his forehead as he contemplated the strange things that had been revealed to him.

"I suppose you know my name now," Jane remarked. "You can go ahead and call me Jane from now on if you'd like."

She stretched out her hand, brushing her fingertips against his hand. He quickly unclenched his hand and slid his long fingers around hers.

"Damian," he said with a slight smile.

Together, their hands intertwined, they entered the hallway. It was the first hallway that she had led the commander into, the level where the private relaxing rooms were located, the place where they had eaten lunch and where he had explained to her about the Time Gate. The continued down the hallway in companionable silence, both of them knowing their destination. They stopped in front of the door they had first entered together the day they had first met, and before entering Jane addressed him.

"Remember how easily I accepted your explanation of time travel?"

He nodded but remained silent.

"I've been around time travel quite a lot, but I myself have never experienced it. My friends however, whom you are about to meet, are time travelers. They have a ship that allows them to travel anywhere in space and time. The Doctor-the man you saw on the screen-is a Time Lord and the ship belongs to him. Clara is his companion, and she's a human from 21st century earth."

She moved her left hand over the sensor and opened the door.

"You know them from that other universe you were from," the commander-Damian-stated.

Jane nodded, not wanting to explain herself further as she passed through the doorway into the conference room, pulling him towards the locked door that led to the same place where they had their first meeting. A loud whooshing and whirring sound came from behind the locked door.

"Their ship is small and it can appear anywhere, so that is them inside of the room," she explained as she slid her hand out from his in order to unlock the door. As she entered the code the grating sounds began to diminish. The door slid open.

A wide grin spread on Jane's face as she took in the familiar sight that she hadn't seen for such a long time. A large blue relic of 19th century London from planet earth stood in the center of the room wedged between the two red sofa chairs. The blue police box looked big enough for about two people to stand inside, with two tall doors beneath the sign "Police Public Call Box" written in bold letters across the top.

"That's the Tardis, the Doctor's time travelling spaceship," Jane explained as she stepped through the doorway.

"It seems a bit small," Damian replied, eyeing the police phone booth with distrust.

Jane smirked. "It's bigger on the inside, or as Clara would say it, smaller on the outside."

Suddenly the door to the police booth burst open, and Jane's oldest friend popped out. His floppy brown hair hung to the side of his head, his eyes wide and bright as he quickly looked around him. He subconsciously held his hands up to his neck to straighten his bow tie as he stepped out of the tardis, his boots stomping onto the floor. As soon as his eyes alighted on her a bright smile filled his face as he held out his arms. "Jane!"

Jane quickly fell into his embrace and placed her head onto his familiar tweed jacket. She hadn't seen him for a long time. It was strange to think that he might have seen her recently, though it would have been her younger self on his universe. She wondered if he had any idea where he was or how old she was now. They released each other and stood grinning as they looked each other over.

"So," The doctor said, clapping his hands together. "When and where am I, and what are you doing here?" Without waiting for a response he withdrew his sonic screwdriver from his inner coat pocket and pointed it at her. It was a small metal object that let out a high pitched squeal and glowed green as it processed the information. Once finished he held it to his face to examine it, a look of confusion crossing his features.

"That can't be right," the doctor muttered before turning to look over Damian. He walked towards the commander and pointed his screwdriver at him.

Damian stood his ground and allowed the Doctor to wave the screwdriver in front of his body, his muscles tensing to show his uncertainty but remaining calm.

Once finished the doctor held the screwdriver close to his face and peered at the growing green light at the end. "None of this makes any sense!" he shouted, banging the object against his palm before peering at it again.

"For the genius you claim to be you sure do seem to get confused often," Clara staid from her position leaning against the tardis door. Jane hadn't noticed her before and smirked as she strode towards her to envelop her in a warm hug.

"It's a very confusion situation!" the doctor defended, turning to face his companion. "One minute we're falling through a black hole and the next we're in a place that shouldn't exist and the tardis is claiming that we're in an alternate universe!" He illustrated his point with an emphatic use of hand signals. Turning, he pointed his sonic screwdriver accusingly towards Jane. "But that can't be the case because you are here."

Jane crossed her arms across her chest. "I hate to break it to you, but the tardis is correct. You're in an alternate universe, and so am I."

The doctor furrowed his eyebrows. "That's impossible, there shouldn't be any way for any of us to be here." He twirled around to examine his surroundings, his gangly limbs flailing.

"You've crossed into alternate and parallel universes before," Jane pointed out.

Ungraciously, he stopped turning and approached her, his voice lowering. "Yes but I've never met you on one of them." He held out his sonic screwdriver towards her once more.

"So if it's technically impossible for us to be here, how are we here?" Clara asked from his side.

Jane was glad for the interruption. This was only her second universe she had been a part in, but there was no way of knowing how long she would live and how many universes she would enter until she eventually died. Or perhaps she never would die and she would be forced to live through the eternities. There was a possibility that she might have actually been on one of the alternate universes the doctor had been sucked into, like the one where he lost Rose to.

Jane took it upon herself to explain the situation."There's been a large displacement of time energy as our universe collides with another one, and it seems as though the two of you were sucked in through the release of energy."

"Two colliding universes!" the doctor exclaimed excitedly, returning his screwdriver to his pocket and taking a step away from Jane. "I love those! So, what brought about the collide?" He enthusiastically rubbed his hands together.

Jane shrugged her shoulders before explaining; "A misuse of time travel that connected the two universes, and eventually backfired."

"So all of the time energy being used to merge the two universes dragged us into the mix as well!" the doctor said, clapping his hands.

His joviality was a nice respite from the daunting idea of being entirely wiped out as their universes collided. Hopefully Jane would be able to keep the Doctor from being killed as well; he most likely wouldn't become affected-as he wasn't part of this universe-but it didn't mean one of the affected might kill him.

"I wouldn't be too happy if I were you," Damian's deep voice cut through the air. Everyone turned to look at him, the doctor taking on one of his well-practiced confused expressions as he swivelled his head around to look at the tall commander.

"The collide is causing millions upon billions of deaths," Damian continued, his voice grave, "and if we are unable to stop it both universes will be completely destroyed."

The doctor's mouth was agape in an expression that revealed how appalling the news was. He quickly clamped his square jaw shut and stood straighter. "Well, good thing I'm here." He straightened his bow tie. "I've saved dozens of planets, some of them multiple times-" he shot a withering glance towards Clara, who stared back at him innocently. "I've even saved my entire universe, not to mention all of the others I've helped out along the way!" He held out his long thin limbs to encompass the grand scale of his achievements.

Damian glanced at Jane, his eyes searching for reassurance. Jane nodded at him, proving that the doctor's claims were legitimate. His dark eyebrows raised to show his disbelief before turning back to watch the doctor.

A smug expression crossed the doctor's face. "I've never had to save two universes at once, but..." he withdrew his screwdriver and tossed it into the air and caught it easily. "I think I'll be able to pull it off."

"Unfortunately, that will do nothing for your humility," Jane said sardonically.

"Ah-hey!" the doctor complained. "I am very humble, thank you very much." He waved his screwdriver in a condescending manner towards her. "I am the very king of being humble, I'm-"

"Wait, if this isn't our universe, then how come Jane is here when she's also in ours?" Clara interjected.

Jane flinched, upset that the topic had been brought up once again. Hopefully she'd be able to wave it off, but the truth of her immortality might just be revealed. Clara and the Doctor were already aware of it, though they didn't know she was able to continue living even though the universe around her ended.

"Well... I-" the doctor mumbled, rubbing the back of his head with his metal tool. "I suppose it could be... I mean, she is really old, older than I've ever seen-"

Jane bursted out laughing at his awkward attempts of grasping the situation even though he was headed on the right track. "My, Doctor, you really know how to compliment a woman!"

He looked flabbergasted as he began frantically waving his hands to defend himself. "You know what I mean, you must have moved on from my universe to the next one, somehow-though this is all impossible-"

She was amazed that the Doctor had caught on so easily, and decided that instead of being defensive she should just keep the discussion lighthearted. "I guess Clara's not the only impossible girl in your life then, huh?" she asked teasingly.

Clara squinched her face in shock. "What?"

The doctor stammered as he looked between the two women. Jane realized with a start that the Doctor hadn't found out the truth about Clara yet and who she really was. Until then she would be known as the impossible girl, whom he had witnessed die two times before in completely different timelines and yet she was still traveling with him through space. While she was his companion he made it his mission to find out who she was, and apparently he hadn't found out yet.

"I'm sorry, I suppose I don't know where you are in your timeline yet; I spoke out of place." It was a perfectly normal statement for the two of them as they continually met each other out of order, both of them knowing the future in store for the other while both being wary to let any information slip. Jane continued to progress through time in a normal pace while the doctor jumped all over time and visiting her randomly. One day for her she would meet the doctor in his third incarceration with his puffy white hair and opera cloak and the next day she would see his tenth form with his spiky brown hair and long trench coat; thousands of years passing for him while only one day would go by for her.

The opposite could also be true, while in his fourth form he might meet her in 16th century France and then only a few minutes might pass for him when he would meet her in 21st century America. It certainly helped her to have a good memory as she would have to remember what had happened during their meeting several hundred years before.

"Yeah, well, I know what you meant, though I can't say the same for her," he replied, rubbing his large chin thoughtfully.

"So what time is it for you?" she asked, wondering exactly where in his timeline he was.

The doctor began to pace back and forth, "Ah, well, you know, we took two kids to the moon and almost got everybody killed by some cybermen, oh and I got 'upgraded' but eventually stopped Mr. Clever from taking over my mind by using a candy wrapper against him!" he said proudly, "though it only worked temporarily so I won the chess match with a hand pulser instead."

Glad that she now knew exactly where in his timeline the Doctor was and what was still in store for him-even though his explanation might have seemed crazy to anyone else-she glanced towards Damian to see how he was following along. He was standing with his back straight as he watched their bantering with a bemused expression, lines of confusion remaining etched into his forehead. She felt pity towards him for leaving him in the dark, but there wasn't much she could say that could help explain the Doctor's already ridiculous story.

"So are you ever going to introduce me to your handsome friend?" Clara asked, following her gaze to peer towards Damian.

Jane grinned, musing about how handsome the tall commander really was. His dark hair was styled in waves on his head and his slender yet highly muscled was nicely accentuated by his uniform . "I'm certain he can introduce himself."

Damian extended his hand to Clara. "You can call me the Commander," he stated stiffly. Clara accepted his hand with a firm grip of her own, briefly stating her name before the Doctor interrupted.

"All right, now that we all know each other, let's get on with it then! We've got a universe-two universes-to save!" He briskly stepped up to the door and began examining it with his metal tool. Suddenly the door slid open even though he hadn't waved his hand over the sensor.

"What is that thing?" Damian asked, eyeing the screwdriver incredulously.

"Oh this?" The Doctor asked, throwing up the tool with a glowing green tip and catching it. "This is my sonic screwdriver."

"It can pretty much do anything and has infinite amount of uses- but oddly doesn't work on wood," Clara staid by his side.

The Doctor departed through the doorway so Jane hurriedly followed close behind. She walked by his side and led the three of them straight to the elevator as she began to explain the basics of the situation they were in; she explained their mission to the Time Gate and the challenge of the affected going on killing rampages. The Doctor listened with interest as he paced around the close quarters. Clara remained at the side of the elevator, watching them all with a glint in her eyes as she crossed her arms and leaned against the wall. When the lift finally landed on another level, the Doctor immediately burst out of the slow enclosure and set a rapid pace forwards, rubbing his hands in excitement.

"So, when are we going to see one of these _affected?"_ he asked with apparent glee, turning to watch the rest of them exit the lift as he continued to walk, backwards.

"If you will allow me to lead, then I'll be more than happy to show you the way to the cells where we have a few detained," Jane replied with a smirk, stepping past the Doctor who obediently followed.


	20. 20 Backstabber

They made their way to the prison as Jane did a mental count of how many affected were detained. While she and Damian had been working alongside each other on the bridge that morning there had been eight more attacks. She knew that the attacks were increasing, and she feared that as time progressed things would continue to amplify with ever increasing momentum to the point where there would be a small chance that they would be able to have enough people to operate the ship in order to make it to the Time Gate.

Perhaps she could convince the Doctor into transporting them directly to the Gate, that would certainly save them a lot of time. They'd have to get all of the missiles and transport them into the tardis, as the Doctor was vehemently opposed to weapons and didn't keep any on his ship.

They entered the prison and Jane led them straight to the glass partitions. The Doctor pressed his face against the glass to peer at the prisoner held prisoner was a man in a green janitor's uniform, his face devoid of emotion as he lay shackled to his bed, completely immobile.

"Why's he chained up?" Clara asked from her side as she peered at the prisoner lying devoid of emotion, his brown eyes staring straight upwards and giving the overall appearance of being completely innocent and not capable of committing the murder he had just done a few hours before.

"To keep him from killing himself," Damian said in his deep baritone voice which made the statement seem all the more drastic.

"If the affected aren't able to kill others they turn to killing themselves," Jane explained.

They were interrupted by the sounds of a struggle emanating from the hallway. Someone was shouting-at least two males-and it sounded as though someone was being physically dragged towards the prison. Curious, they all walked back to the hallway and crowded the doorway.

Jane immediately recognized Elsa, the furry technician who had been a witness to the first murder of their trip. The petite, mouse-like humanoid strained against the two burly security guards who half carried and half dragged her down the hallway. She twisted and strained, her large purple eyes staring forwards and her large ears resting in their natural position even though the rest of her body twisted and pulled against her guards who were verbally shouting instructions to her to command her to stay still.

The Doctor peered at Elsa's writhing form with interest as she neared them, his eyes wide. "Is she affected?"

"Yes." Jane's voice cracked. "You can tell by her blank expression, and the fact that she is desperately trying to injure and ultimately kill her captors," she said, trying to keep her voice devoid of emotion. She hated to learn that Elsa was essentially dead, her body filled by whatever powered her to become affected, but now was not a time for grief.

The Doctor strode forwards, quickly closing the distance between him and the affected. He withdrew his sonic screwdriver from his inner pocket. The two guards blanched and wrenched Elsa away from him at the sight of his screwdriver, mistaking it for a weapon. Jane hurried and strode forwards, catching the guard's attention. "Let him examine her, he's a Doctor."

The Doctor turned back to raise an eyebrow at her as the guards attempted to keep Elsa still for him. She smirked and waved him on, knowing full well that even though he called himself a doctor he wasn't actually trained in the medical profession. He looked back towards Elsa and pointed his screwdriver at her to get a reading as she continued to squirm and kick in the air. Once finished he hopped out of the way and allowed the guards to proceed on their way to the prison. Jane and the others also pressed themselves against the hallway to watch Elsa be forcibly dragged into the prison, her face eerily distressing as she stared around herself with wide open, unresponsive eyes.

Once alone in the hallway the four of them remained silent as they looked towards the Doctor. He peered at his screwdriver for a moment before sliding it back into his pocket. "Technically, she's brain dead," he staid. "All of her motor functions are working-besides her digestive system for some reason-but she has no thought processes or emotional functions."

"You were able to read all of that from your screwdriver?" Damian asked skeptically.

The Doctor patted his pocket proudly. "Yep." He then turned to look at Jane, his expression morose. "I suppose that those attributes make her an affected?"

Jane nodded somberly, grieving for the loss of another of her crew members.

"So what is our plan? Anyone on this ship could become affected at any time so we should probably hurry up with saving the universe," Clara remarked.

"Univer_ses_," the Doctor clarified.

Jane took a step forwards. "If you want to give us a lift to the Time Gate, that would certainly speed things up a bit," she addressed to the Doctor.

"And what are you going to do when you get there?" he asked.

"Blow it up. Asinine, I know, but so far it's the best option we've come up with."

He furrowed his brow in a look of consternation.

"We don't have anything on the tardis that could blow anything up," Clara interrupted.

Damian spoke up. "We have missiles on the ship."

"Before we can transport the missiles onto the tardis, first we have to unlock the missiles from the ship's control, which can only be done by me from the main control room."

"Well, aren't you special," the doctor mocked.

"She's the captain of this ship," Damian defended, sounding offended.

Abashed, the Doctor looked at Jane and offered a shrug in apology. Jane laughed and began leading them back to the elevator. They didn't need to stay around the affected any longer, though she began to worry that they might encounter another one once they surrounded themselves with multiple people.

After riding up the lift the doors slid open to reveal the large control room. Rows of red clad crew members stood or sat in their respective places and worked with their transparent screens, their motions slower and their expressions more somber than she had ever seen before. Upon their entrance several of them turned to look at them, their expressions turning to shock as they saw the visitors. Jane pressed on confidently, not giving them any reason for alarm even though two strangers had suddenly appeared on their ship when they were far from civilization and on the outskirts of space. Not that anything as equally strange hadn't recently, Jane mused.

She made her way to the bridge, motioning for Damian and the others to remain behind and mingle by the stairs. Triss stood at the top of the stairs, her green lips pursed and her yellow eyes staring daggers towards the four of them. Jane felt her stomach sink as she realized how neglected she had treated her second in command; completely ignoring her ever since the commander arrived.

"Hello Triss," she stated amicably as soon as she reached the top of the stairs.

Triss stared at her, and from her gritted teeth and frustrated expression Jane began to imagine steam rising from her ears. If she had ears; her head was covered in scales and over her bald head were spikes.

"Captain," she hissed stiffly, clenching her e-book tightly as she glanced once again at the visitors. Her yellow eyes flicked back towards Jane, her slanted pupils thin in frustration. "May I have a word?"

Jane figured that she had every right to at least put Triss at ease, even if she wouldn't be able to tell her everything. She nodded and began to lead her to her private quarters. As she typed in the code she glanced backwards and caught Damian's eye. He was staring at her with a concerned expression, obviously worried that instead of immediately moving the controls of the missiles over she was disappearing with her second in command. She turned her gaze away from him and opened the door. While Triss was obviously upset with her, Jane knew that she was in no danger.

She strode to the center of the hallway and paused, listening to doors sliding shut behind her and the click of the Treshiss's shoes against the floor. Triss stepped to her side so she turned to face her.

"What is going on Captain?" she asked, demanding an answer. "Ever since the games everything has been chaotic; several of the crew are going around killing each other." There was an unspoken accusation against the commander, insinuating his participation in the killings as he had arrived just before the games.

Jane sighed and quickly thought of a viable reason for the killings to explain to her second in command that would keep the blame off of Damian while not revealing too much. "There's a virus spreading."

Triss arched a scaly eyebrow.

"It strikes suddenly and randomly, distorting the victim's thinking and making them outwardly violent. The commander came here to warn me about it, and the other two people with me are a doctor and his companion. They're here to help."

"Why haven't you told me about this before?" Triss accused. "I'm your second in command; I deserve to be kept informed on what has been going on in this ship."

Jane frowned. She hadn't wanted to inform Triss because knowledge that everyone she knew would eventually die as the universe was destroyed because of its collision course was a daunting, traumatic, and depressing reality to comprehend.

Noting her silence, Triss pressed on. "So what is your plan for the virus, if it actually exists? Give everyone shots that miraculously appear out of thin air along with your "doctor" friend?" Her voice was laced with sarcasm and anger.

"I'm putting the ship under your complete control."

Triss stared at her in unabashed shock, her mouth falling open to reveal her pointed teeth hidden inside.

"I'm going to leave with my companions and we're going to put a stop to the violence. Keep everyone safe and locked in their rooms in case they catch the virus. We don't want any more deaths." She peered at her, wondering how Triss was going to protect herself should an affected attack her. "Keep yourself safe," she ordered.

Triss hissed in irritation. She glanced down at her e-book and began pressing buttons, until suddenly a small metal object popped out of the side of the thin tablet. She pulled it out, revealing a deathly sharp knife that she held deftly between her scaled fingers. The blade was wide and surprisingly thick, its edges extremely sharp. "I can take care of myself."

Jane smiled at her ingenuity, knowing that she had chosen her second in command well. "I'm certain that everything will be fine; you're more than capable to command this ship even when faced with these challenges."

Triss humphed in response, obviously still upset about the whole ordeal. Jane turned and began heading back towards the bridge, knowing that there was nothing more that she could say to Triss that would make matters any better between them. She opened the door with a flick of her wrist and strode to the center of the circular platform, her eyes immediately alighting on her companions.

The doctor was talking animatedly with one of her crew members as he excitedly began pressing buttons on the transparent screen. The crew member he was tormenting was watching in horror, unable to stop him. Clara stood by his side, trying her best to keep him from causing too much trouble. Damian remained leaned against the door, his arms crossed over his chest as he watched the stranger's interactions with amusement. His eyes flashed up to the bridge from the noise of the opening door and a relieved expression crossed his face when he saw her.

She smiled at him to show that everything was fine as she brought up her screens with a wave of her arm. She quickly accessed the weapons file and brought up the missiles. She typed in all of the passcodes transferring the missiles to the tardis's control. Suddenly pain flared into her as something pierced her back, slipping in smoothly between her ribs. She arched her back in pain, her vision blinded by red. She fell to her knees, unable to draw in a breath, her lungs on fire.


	21. 21: Revelations

Damian instantly knew when something was wrong. He had been worried about the captain since she left with the second in command, the concerned look she gave him before leaving the room was enough to set him on edge. He had kept his mind off his apprehension by watching the comedic goings on of the Doctor and his companion as soon as his eyes saw one of the transparent screens.

He had been relieved when the captain re-entered the bridge and offered him a smile before going about her task with the transparent screens. He watched Triss enter the area with interest, his eyes instantly focusing on the knife the second in command held in her hand. That wasn't in itself too disconcerting, but the expression on her face was enough to worry him immensely. It was a blank stare, her green face completely blank as she stared towards Jane.

Fearing the worst, he pushed himself off of the wall and began racing up the stairs, watching in horror as Triss calmly moved forwards and lunged her knife deep into the captain's back. She withdrew the bloodied knife as Jane fell into a heap onto the floor and turned to face Damian.

His blood ran cold as he stared at her emotionless face, knowing instantly that the second in command had become affected. With a flash Triss swung the knife through the air, aiming for his face. He dodged the blow and punched her inner elbow, but she kept her grip on the knife and did not let it escape from her grasp. He pushed her backwards, wanting to rush to the captain's aid, but she would not let him pass as she rushed towards him, her arm outstretched. He knocked the blow away by hitting her wrist and sent a swift punch to her face, his fist connecting with a crunch to her nose. The skin on his knuckles ripped off as his punch slid across her sharp scales, making her head rock back from the force. She showed no signs of pain and immediately stabbed forwards with her knife.

He grasped her wrist with both hands, catching the strike, and slammed her slender wrist down on his knee, breaking the bones instantly. He expected her to finally drop the knife, but she still did not relinquish her grip as she was impervious to the pain. He saw her left hand extending towards him from the corner of his eye. He jerked his head backwards, narrowly avoiding her sharp nails that extended from her fingers like claws. She opened her mouth wide, revealing her teeth sharpened to points, her yellow eyes emotionless and blank. She lunged forwards, her mouth aimed for his neck, but he quickly swung her wrist and implanted the knife she still clung to deep inside of her mouth. Undaunted, the blade sticking out of the base of the back of her head, she finally let go of the knife and reached both hands out to strangle him.

He grasped her hands and wrenched downwards, causing her to bend over as he kneed her in the gut. Following through with his momentum he slammed his elbow into the center of the back, making her faceplant onto the floor. He figured that would be the end of it so he quickly glanced towards Jane, who was lying on her back, her eyes wide open and glazed over, her body unmoving. Damian felt his heart stop beating in his chest, the unbearable truth right in front of his eyes. The captain couldn't be dead, he defended frantically, he _needed_ her, he lo-

His attention was brought back to the affected as Triss began to rise, her hands pushing her up, her right arm bent at an awkward angle due to her broken wrist. Anger surged through Damian as he pounced onto the murderer, his legs straddling her body as he grasped her head with both hands. With a fury he slammed her face into the ground, hearing bones crunch as the knife protruded even farther from the base of her head. He repeated the motion, wrenching her head upwards before slamming it down once more, the knife continually lodging itself deeper into her throat. He felt her twitch beneath him, so he repeated the motion again, using all of his force.

Breathing heavy, he finally stopped and removed his shaking hands from her shattered head, glancing around him. The Doctor stood staring at him at the top of the stairs, his jaw clenched and his eyes showing his repulsion towards his actions. Clara stood to his side, her skin taking on the same hue of Triss's scales, her expression filled with disgust and horror. Damian quickly stood, his head dizzy as he turned to face the captain, who remained motionless at the center of the bridge. He stumbled to her side, his heart racing and his mind unable to process his thoughts.

He fell to her side and slid his arm under her slender shoulders, pulling her body closer to him. Her eyes stared upwards, seeing nothing, her mouth was parted slightly to reveal blood stained teeth. His head continued to buzz as he heard raucous shouting all around him, but his full attention was on Jane. He held her body on his lap as he moved a hand to her throat to feel for a pulse, his fingers shaking uncontrollably.

The shouting became clearer, accusatory, as the crew members in the control room shouted and yelled at them. The Doctor shouted back at them, his words decipherable to Damian even though his focus was elsewhere. "The captain is still alive-trust me, I'm a Doctor!"

Damian gritted his teeth in frustration, his mind still clouded in grief. The doctor hadn't even checked on Jane and instead stood on the bridge yelling at the crew members, he would have no idea whether or not Jane was still alive. He had no right to claim as such...

His fingers felt a pulse. It was faint, but it was there. His heart lodged itself in his throat as relief surged through him.

The yelling grew louder and clearer as Damian's attention turned to what they were saying, their shouting mixing together as grief and anger surged throughout the room. "Who are you?" "The captain is dead!" "Who will be in charge of the ship?" "He killed her!" "It's his fault, ever since he came all of this has been happening!"

Damian glanced around him and realized that the red shirt crew members were pointing their fingers accusingly at him, their expressions full of anger and hatred. They began rushing forwards, heading towards the bridge, intent on leaping upwards or surging up the stairs. Frightened for his safety he glanced backwards to the Doctor, who was shining his sonic screwdriver on the captain's door. It opened so the doctor pushed his companion inside and turned to look back at Damian, waving him over.

Damian stood, carrying Jane in his arms and narrowly avoided reaching hands extending towards his legs as he raced forwards. Once through the door he glanced backwards at the many crew members pulling themselves onto the bridge and racing up the stairs, their expressions revealing their intent on destruction and murder. The door slid shut behind the Doctor as soon as he entered, locking them out of harms way with no route for escape.

Damian slowly sank to his knees and laid Jane on the floor, being careful not to jolt her. He glanced hopefully towards the Doctor. "Can you help her?" he asked expectantly, knowing that they would have to do something fast in order to save the captain's life.

"She'll be fine, all she'll need is a shower and a change of clothes once she wakes up," the Doctor said distractedly, his attention focused on the banging racking the door.

"She'll be fine?!" Damian shouted incredulously, glancing down at Jane and the pool of blood that was slowly seeping around her body. "She needs a medic NOW!"

"Just give her a minute for her body to heal herself and she'll wake up, good as new!" the Doctor retorted, apparently completely disinterested with Jane's wellbeing.

Boiling with frustration, Damian stood and forcefully strode towards the Doctor, intent on pinning him to the wall and beating some sense into him. Clara jumped in his way, holding a protective hand out to his chest and stared at him with pleading eyes. "Jane won't die, the Doctor's right; she'll be totally fine."

Damian peered at her, his fingers clenching as he held his arms at his side. "She was stabbed in the back," he enunciated forcefully, trying to talk some sense into them.

"She's immortal!" The Doctor shouted, full of irritation. "She can't die!"

Damian glared at him obstinately. "Are you going to do nothing for her?" he asked, not believing his claims.

"Yes! I'm just going to sit here and watch her until she sits up and smiles, her back completely healed!"

Damian pushed Clara out of the way and swung his arm back in a fist, intending to strike.

"Damian." The name caused shivers to fall down his spine as he let his fist slowly sink back down to his side. He rigidly turned to look at the speaker, his eyes falling to Jane.

She was laying on the floor, propping herself up on her elbows, her blue eyes piercing him. Her expression was strained, showing the pain she was experiencing, but already she looked immensely better than she had moments before. He walked back and crouched by her side, anxiously looking her over.

"I have something to tell you," she said somberly, flinching as she sat forwards. "I'm immortal."


	22. 22 Immortality

Damian stared at her blankly, the information not registering. There was no way she could be immortal: he had watched her be stabbed and she had bled just like anybody else.

She leaned forwards even further and arched her back to give him a better view of her wound. He watched intently as the skin begin to suture itself back together, the blood ceasing to flow. The skin around the wound miraculously began to heal itself, leaving no scar or any trace of the deadly injury that had been there only moments before. Once finished she turned to face him, her expression anxious as she watched his reaction.

Swallowing heavily, he placed his hands on his knees to help support his weight, uncertain if he was going to pass out from the stress and high range of emotions he had recently been experiencing. "Well," he croaked. "I suppose that explains a lot."

Jane let out a chuckle and smiled at him affectionately.

The knocking against the door intensified, reminding them of the situation at hand. The captain's face drained of color as she realized what had happened, her eyes focusing on the blood covering Damian's hands.

"Triss is affected?" she asked fearfully.

"I killed her," Damian said.

"And your crew members aren't very happy with that," the Doctor piped in. The banging on the door accentuated his claim.

"Did you transfer the missile controls over to the Tardis?" Clara asked.

"Yes, so now we need to get back to the Tardis and transport it into the hangar room to pick up the missiles," Jane said.

"We're locked in here and you crew is intent on killing me," Damian warned, wondering how they would be able to escape. "Is there another way out?"

Jane rose to her feet, swaying slightly before regaining her composure. "No, this area only leads to my room." She glanced at her blood soaked back and ran her fingers over the tear in her fabric from the knife. "-Which is where I need to go to get changed." She glanced over at him and his bloodied hands, "And you need to wash up. By the time we're done with that the crew should be calmed down a bit and would have returned to their work. They know they need to keep the ship running so they'll just get back to their jobs; when we re-enter hopefully their tempers won't be as high."

They followed Jane down the long hallway to the elevator and quickly raised themselves to the highest level. She entered the top floor and strode to a pair of glass doors which she slid open with a wave of her wrist over the sensors. She stepped into her bedroom, which Damian examined eagerly. It was a homey atmosphere, with beige walls that were much more comforting than the stark white walls that surrounded the rest of the ship. Mahogany desks and shelves lined the open room, littered by odd assortments of memorabilia. The floor was covered with a lush carpet that was made of intricate patterns, the fibers sinking easily as Damian strode into the room. Paintings lined the walls, each of them expertly stroked to reveal all sorts of sceneries: grassy landscapes, tall buildings, leafy jungles. He looked about him in amazement at all of the luxurious artifacts, Jane quickly disappearing into the bathroom and closing the door behind her.

The Doctor strode to one of the shelves and picked up an ornately carved clock to examine it, his expression full of glee. Clara meandered around the room to peer at the paintings. "This clock is three hundred years old!" the Doctor said excitedly, holding his glowing screwdriver over the wood.

"Did Jane make it?" Clara asked.

Damian furrowed his brow, wondering how Jane could have made the clock when supposedly it was over three hundred years old.

"Perhaps," the Doctor confirmed, "though she normally doesn't keep her own works and instead gives them away anonymously. This probably belonged to some famous monarch of some sort that she charmed away from him."

The gravity of Jane's revelation began to sink in. _I'm immortal._ Does that mean that not only could she survive any injury, but she had also been living for centuries? That would explain why she was so good at fighting, if she had centuries to learn all the methods of fighting there was no question why she had been able to win the contest. It also explained why she was so smart and able to multitask so efficiently. She was immortal. Impossible. Stunning. Beautiful.

The bathroom door opened and Jane appeared in the doorway, wearing a clean captain's shirt, her hands and face washed. She really did appear ravishing: her face bright and her stance eager; so different from the unmoving form that she had been only minutes before. She really was completely healed. Damian wondered how she was capable of living multiple centuries, unable to die, forced to watch as those she loved died around her. He swallowed heavily, thinking of how terrible a fate the captain faced. She noticed his expression and smiled comfortingly, moving out of the bathroom doorway and letting him pass. He stepped past her and made his way to the sink, his boots sinking into the soft rug as he turned on the water and began to wash the blood off of his hands.

She remained by his side and watched his movements as he methodically washed and rinsed, the rust color dripping from his fingers to slowly trail down the drain.

"I'm sorry."

Damian glanced towards Jane in shock, wondering what she was apologizing for. Her attention remained focused on his hands.

"I should have told you the truth," she admitted regrettably.

"I wouldn't have believed you."

Her eyes lifted to connect with his, and now he could see how infinite the depths of her sapphire blue irises stretched. So many years, so many lives that she's lived through. His heart ached in empathy for her.

"I-" he paused, unsure of what to say. "Let's get back to saving the universe, shall we?" he asked instead.

He turned away from her and shut off the water before grabbing a towel to dry his hands. When he turned back he noticed that she had already left the room and was on her way towards the elevator. His feelings swarmed inside of him. He knew that he had fallen in love with her, that fact was irrefutable after witnessing her death and realizing that he had no desire to continue living without her. He was glad that she was alive, but the staggering truth of the matter was hard to bear.

How could she love him when she knew that one day he would eventually die and she would continue living? To deal with the pain of loss was too much to bear. He couldn't do that to her. He wouldn't press their relationship, knowing that no matter what happened the end result would be the same. He tossed the towel to the side and began following after them.


	23. 23 Game Plan

Jane stepped onto the bridge and quickly glanced through the many upturned faces that registered into shock upon her entrance. Her crew was back to work in their rows, keeping up with their work but for now they all stood, staring at her with incredulation. She glanced at the blood that was splattered on the white floor of the bridge, Triss's body already removed. Damian stepped to her side, and immediately the expressions of the crew changed to hatred and distrust, their lips pulling into sneers.

"Atten-tion!" Jane commanded, her voice ringing throughout the control room. Only about half of her crew snapped to attention, the other half staring defiantly towards Damian. Such a divide didn't bode anything well for them, and she had never before seen her crew act so deviant before. "I am your captain and you will obey my orders!" She demanded. A few more members of the crew came to attention, though reluctantly.

She glared at the ones refusing to submit, a dark sense of foreboding filling her body. "I trust the commander with my life. He means none of you any harm, and he is here to help you."

Her crew continued to stare at her, their expressions mixed with distrust and fear. She decided to take on a different tactic. "Your main goal is to keep this ship running its course. I am going to go deal with the problems at hand and see what I can do about the recent attacks, in the meantime I will send some security guards up here to keep you protected."

"Protected from what?" came a voice from the audience. Jane glanced towards Gregory, who stood defiantly with his fingers clenched at his sides.

"From yourselves." A murmur of disagreement rose up, which Jane quickly silenced with a raise of her hand. "Triss did not mean to stab me. There's a virus spreading that takes effect instantly and makes the person become extremely violent. It might appear in any of you at any time; my companions-" she motioned behind her towards Damian, the Doctor, and Clara, "are here investigating it and helping me to find a cure."

The crew began shouting and making accusations, several of them glancing around frightened as many of them responded to the revelation in indignant anger. "Then why did he kill her if it wasn't her fault?" one voice shouted, rising above the others. The rest of them also began to shout in frustration, pointing and shouting towards Damian.

"Call the Admiral, he'll inform you that the commander has been sent here to help us-"

"We already tried!" shouted Gregory once more. "After we thought you died we tried reporting it, but we got no answer!"

Jane turned to face Damian and witnessed as his face blanched. She knew now without a doubt that the Admiral must have been his brother or other form of close relation. The shouting continued to escalate, so she decided it was time for them to leave. She led them down the stairs, luckily her crew made no move against her, though they eyed Damian with irate expressions. She quickly slid into the elevator, her companions following close behind. She slid the doors shut and sent the lift back to the floor where the tardis was located.

They walked briskly down the hallway and back through the control room and into the locked room. The Doctor passed by her and opened the Tardis door and quickly stepped inside. Clara and Jane followed suit and entered the wide area that opened up before them. A large console sat in the center of the circular area covered with knobs and buttons that whirled and twirled, a large cylinder filled with light sat in the very center of the console. Jane glanced back towards Damian, who peered into the open door with apprehension. From the outside the tardis looks like a wooden box only big enough for two people, but once inside the area opens up into a wide room with hallways that stretch on and on into infinity.

He slowly placed one foot into the tardis to test his weight as he glanced around the wide area with incredulity. Once inside he gained more confidence and ambled towards the console, which the Doctor was now circling, wrenching levers and pushing buttons as a whirring noise began to emanate from deep within the tardis. Jane came to the Doctor's aid, putting in the precise coordinates where she wanted them to land within the ship, recalling how to operate the tardis from the depths of her memory.

Clara walked over to Damian and instructed him to hold onto one of the rails. He shook his head and instead stared all around him in amazement, but as the tardis began rocking back and forth he reached out his hands and grasped hold of the railing tightly. His expression was of fear and incredulity, his pale face glancing around him in confusion.

Just as quickly as it started the whirring began to abate and the rocking slowly settled down. The Doctor flipped one last switch triumphantly and began walking towards the tardis doors. "We should now be in the hangar room." He said jubilantly.

As Damian shakily let go of the railing Jane quickly walked to his side to place a comforting hand on his shoulder. He glanced at her and shrugged her off, embarrassed by his expression of fear. The Doctor flung open the doors and stepped outside of the tardis, Damian quickly following after him. Jane caught Clara's eye and the two of them smirked at each other.

"I remember my first time," Clara stated reminiscently, sliding a hand tenderly over the railing as she moved towards the door. "He's actually handling himself pretty well."

Jane nodded in affirmation and followed them out of the tardis and closed the door behind her. The four of them stood in the open hangar, the ceiling stretching high above their heads as the room stretched on all around them. The hangar was filled with large boxes and shuttles; it was used as a large storage place as well as its function of being a place for incoming shuttles to land.

"So," the Doctor said, clapping his hands together. "Where are the missiles?"

Jane stepped in front of him and began leading them among the rows of shuttles and carriers towards the huge cargo boxes that lined the walls, each of them as large as an intermodal container, each of them made out of a thick, smooth metal that were painted different colors depending on their contents. Each cargo box was enormous, containing all of the extra supplies for the ship such as food, clothing, and other necessary materials that were now in storage. She pointed to a large red cargo box that was about forty feet long in the shape of a rectangle, its height and width ten feet by ten feet.

"They're in that container," she said.

"You keep your missiles in a box?" Clara asked questioningly. "Don't you need to put them in a gun or cannon or something?"

Jane chuckled, remembering how weapons worked in Clara's time. "See that large mover over there? It looks like a truck with a huge claw attached to its front."

"Yeah," she replied, catching sight of the mover.

"That picks up the box with the missiles and takes it over to the airlock room where all of the shuttles enter." She pointed towards the far side of the hangar room where there was a huge, massive opening that lead into another room, the doorway was large enough for several movers to pass through it with ease. The gigantics door separating the rooms were currently slid open to reveal a wide open expanse, the far side of the room showing another set of extremely thick doors that were currently shut. "Once the mover drops the box off inside it gets back into the hangar to stay safe. The first set of doors close, and then the outer set of doors open and the box gets sucked out in space.

"Once they're off my ship I have complete control over the missiles from my control room, and from there I can program each one of them to fly and explode exactly when and where I need them to."

Clara smiled. "Neat."

"But now that control has been sent to the tardis, and I'm in charge of the missiles," the Doctor stated smugly, straightening his bow tie proudly.

"How are we going to get the missiles into the tardis?" Damian asked skeptically as he stared at the massive box.

"We could make the tardis appear around it and have it directly enter one of the rooms." Jane offered. Damian peered at her skeptically. "The tardis's size is infinite, by the way," she explained to him. "They'll fit."

"Can we do that, Doctor?" Clara asked.

"Ah, um," he rubbed his chin, "supposedly, yes, though I'm not certain that I'll be able to manage it as it's a very difficult operation with lots of button pushings and so forth-"

"I can do it," Jane offered.

"How do you know how to do that? That operation is one that only the brightest Time Lords even learn, and even then it's nearly impossible-" the Doctor said.

"Romanadvoratrelundar taught me."

The three of them glanced at her in shock, none of them comprehending the name. Jane rolled her eyes. "Your companion, Romana. Remember her?"

The Doctor stared at her blankly as the wheels in his head began to move. Jane prompted him even further. "Pretty, brown hair, highly intelligent? Graduated with top marks from the Time Lord Academy? Helped you find a set of keys scattered across the universe?"

Finally the Doctor caught on. "Oh, Romana!" he exclaimed happily. "That was back when I had an eighteen foot scarf-centuries ago!"

"You used to wrap something around your neck that is even worse than a bow tie?" Clara asked incredulously, her voice brimming with laughter.

His hands flew protectively to his bowtie. "Hey, bow ties are cool," he stated defensively, appearing insulted.

Jane smirked. "You should have seen him when he pinned a celery to his chest."

Clara laughed out loud, much to the Doctor's frustration. "It was a very fashionable vegetable!" he shouted in defense, waving his arms about him wildly.

Damian stepped forwards, drawing attention to himself. "Back to my question," the Doctor and Clara turned to face him, drawing silent though Clara's body continued to convulse in laughter. "How are we going to get the missiles in the tardis?"

The Doctor furrowed his brow in thought as Clara wiped away a tear of amusement. "If you really did talk to Romana and she told you the procedure, then I guess we could attempt it." He peered at Jane closely; "I suppose the important question is if whether or not you remember exactly what she told you."

"I think I'll be just fine, I'm not like you and unable to even remember my companions' names." Jane was very proud of her ability of retention, capable of memorizing all of the names of her crew along with all of the different languages and dialects. Remembering a conversation between herself and one of the Doctor's companions millions of years before on a different universe was surprisingly easy for her.

He sputtered in frustration, "Hey, that's no fair! I couldn't even pronounce it!"

"You seem to do fine in remembering the names of far away planets and such; does Raxicoricofallipatorius ring a bell? That's just as difficult as Romanadvoratrelundar, it isn't fair that you don't even attempt to remember a name of your companion while you-."

A loud crash reverberated throughout the room as one of the large containers toppled over, spilling its contents of bedsheets and other laundry. They glanced around them in shock, wondering what had caused the crash. From behind the tall stack of the containers came the sound of heavy footsteps slowly progressing forwards. The four of them tensed and peered at the containers ahead of them. The stomping continued, until finally the culprit behind the toppled container was revealed.

A huge Grog stood directly ahead of them, standing between the rows of containers. A uniform stretched over its highly muscled chest, the purple material unable to hide the large shell on the Grog's back. Jane's breath caught in her throat as she stared towards the emotionless black eyes peering back at her, the feelers jutting from its mouth that would normally be wriggling and feeling the air around its mouth completely still.


	24. 24 Encountering Death

"Is it-" Clara said in a soft voice, her body frozen in fear.

"Affected," Jane confirmed, realizing instantly the danger they were in. Grogs are extremely fast and it would be able to quickly overtake them, its four pincers capable of crushing their bones with ease. If it was affected and bent on killing anyone around it, then they were certainly in the wrong place. She glanced towards Damian, who looked back at her with wide eyes.

Without any warning the Grog suddenly raced forwards, heading straight towards them. Not needing any incentive the four of them scattered, racing as far away from the Grog as they could get. Jane flinched as she heard the Grog barrell into another one of the containers, sending supplies flying across the floor. She headed towards the side of the room where there were several mechanical supplies laying around, where hopefully she would find a weapon. After ducking around a shuttle and leaping over a small box she turned to glance behind her to see how her companions were faring. She couldn't see the Doctor or Damian, but the Grog was clearly in sight as it neared Clara. She sprinted forwards, nearing the area where the shuttles were repaired and where all of the tools were placed.

She slid into the workbench and grabbed the first thing she saw before turning around and sprinting back towards Clara and the Grog. Four pincers descended towards Clara, so without a moment to lose Jane hurled the heavy hammer towards the Grog, the tool sailing through the air to crash into the affected's chest. Clara narrowly evaded the pincers that jerked back from her as a result from the hammer's blow, her petite body slipping through a small partition between two shuttles. The Grog halted, his attention turned to Jane, his black eyes eerily staring forwards.

She turned and ran, not wanting to wait to watch him begin to chase after her. Crashing sounds emanated from behind her as the Grog barrelled through the shuttles, nearing her with rapid speed. She raced back to the repair area, listening with horror as the affected neared even closer.

She flipped over the workbench and picked up a heavy wrench that was lying on the ground, her fingers clenching the comforting weight tightly. She twisted around, just in time for the Grog to appear lumbering above her. She swung upwards with her wrench, knocking away one of his deadly pincers that was descending open towards her. His other pincer came flashing towards her side so she quickly leapt away and kicked a nearby toolbox towards the Grog's legs. He stumbled slightly before lunging towards her, pincers outstretched. His feelers near his mouth were strangely lying limp, his black eyes staring straight ahead. She swung her wrench forwards, the metal bashing into his mouth with a satisfying crunch as the limp feelers were wrenched from his face and flew across the room. His face remained blank, unresponsive to the pain as yellow blood began dripping in the place where his feelers were just before, his pincers quickly descending on her.

Jane turned and ran once more, ducking as his pincers scraped the top of her head. A shuttle was not to far ahead of her, the door open, ready for flight. She considered briefly shutting herself inside, but the reminder of all of the nearby obliterated shuttles changed her mind. She raced forwards and fell onto her side to slide beneath the shuttle, knowing that the Grog would have to make his way around it and therefore slow his approach down. She cleared the shuttle and made to get to her feet before the shuttle was suddenly rocked forward's by the Grog's impact. She ducked and laid flat, finding the shuttle above her once more. She hadn't expected that, but quickly began squirming forwards. A pincer reached under the shuttle and grasped onto her leg, quickly closing shut with a bone breaking crunch.

Pain flared all the way up her leg and Jane's vision turned bright white as she felt a scream escape from her lips. His pincer had completely closed on her ankle and crushed all of her bones, Jane felt like she could pass out from the amount of anguish she felt as he dragged her out from beneath the shuttle. She felt everything turn upside down as she was lifted into the air, briefly realizing that she was probably going to die right then. Dying wasn't really something she could do right now, there was no telling when she would awake. The universe was ending and right now wasn't the time for her to pass into oblivion until her body slowly healed herself and she awoke.

She realized that the wrench she was holding was somehow still loosely in her fingers, she tightened her grasp and swung weakly, knocking his descending pincer aside before it slammed into her head. She gritted her teeth in determination and began whacking at the side of his leg, her blows doing nothing against the hard shell of his skin.

She heard shouting coming from Clara as an attempt to draw the Grog's attention, but to no avail. She smacked at it a few more times until suddenly everything exploded around her and she found herself flying through the air.

She landed roughly, her head spinning from the impact, her limbs on fire. She arched her back in pain and opened her eyes to see flashing and blinding stars of light bounce all around her, so she quickly closed them and lay down to wait for the pain to secede. Once the pain had receded enough for her to lift her head- her leg still aching in fiery pain- she opened her eyes to figure out what had happened.

The Doctor poked his head out of a shuttle whose guns were still smoking. She pieced the puzzle together and realized that the Doctor had shot at the Grog, the explosion sending her flying as the Grog was propelled across the room to crash land amid dozens of crumpled supply boxes.

Jane sat up, her head buzzing as she watched the Doctor begin to climb triumphantly from the shuttle. A sick feeling entered the pit of her stomach; she knew that it would take a lot more than a blast from the guns on a shuttle to kill the cockroach-type alien. Grogs were impervious to lasers or other blasts, their only weakness was their feelers, which Jane had already ripped off to no effect. The rest of its body was covered in a shell as hard as steel that was able to withstand any blasts or radiation emissions. She grit her teeth as she looked at the pile of supply boxes that the Grog had flown into, watching as the pile began to shift and move.

The lopsided grin that had framed the Doctor's face quickly disappeared as he stared at the moving boxes. He glanced back at Jane in fright, his face turning pale. Suddenly boxes went flying as the Grog emerged, looking none the worse for wear besides the blood dripping from the place where his feelers had been ungraciously ripped off. It's attention focused in on the shuttle and it began racing towards it.

The doctor quickly disappeared inside of the shuttle, most likely intending to fire off a few more shots. They began to fire off at random, none of them hitting its target as the Grog rampaged forwards. Jane began to fear for the worst, knowing that there was nothing she could do to save the doctor.

A deus ex machina appeared in the form of a bright red laser that hit the Grog, evaporating the shoulder of the purple uniform and successfully distracting the Grog from it's predestined course. Luckily the Doctor also stopped firing, giving the affected time to think about who to attack next without drawing undue attention to himself. Another red laser came soaring through the air, hitting the Grog firmly on the side of its head.

Its victim now cemented into its mind, the Grog turned to face his new attacker. Damian stood with a steaming laser in his outstretched hand, his eyes flashing dangerously. He was near the large airlock, only a hundred or so meters away. The Grog began running towards him so the commander quickly turned and began to race away as quickly as he could.

"All you alright?" Clara asked, running out from behind a shuttle and to Jane's side.

Jane winced in response and ignored her, her attention drawn towards the stampeding Grog that was rapidly catching up to Damian. She watched with horror as Damian passed between the large doors leading to the airlock and disappeared from sight. The doors began closing, and Jane began to hope that perhaps the doors would close quick enough before the Grog entered.

Jane's heart stopped as she witnessed the affected barrell forwards with remarkable speed, narrowly slipping through the doors before they slammed shut with a resounding click that echoed throughout the hangar. _The Grog is trapped in a room with Damian_, she realized, stunned. She knew that he would have no chance of survival being trapped in a small room with the murderous affected.

She lurched forwards in an attempt to get to her feet, Clara quickly reaching out to her shoulders to steady her. She flung an arm over Clara's shoulder and hurried to her feet as fast as he could, Clara supporting her weight. She frantically began hobbling forwards, healing herself as best as she could, finding a difficult time to breathe.. Her thoughts became riddled with darkness, thinking that by now the Grog would have Damian between his pincers, crushing his bones and squeezing the life out of him...

A loud sucking noise suddenly echoed from the room, sounding like a large vacuum, the noise emanating from the airlock rooms. Jane lunged even faster forwards, coldness seeping into her blood as she realized what had happened. The airlock doors had been opened; in her minds eye she witnessed Damian's crushed body being sucked out into space, the Grog hurtling along with him.

Wracked with grief and torment, her shattered ankle still boiling with pain, Jane obstinately made her way to the airlock, unwilling to believe that the commander was now dead, sucked off into the blackness-now purpleness-of space. She was the one who should be in his situation, sacrificing herself for everyone else. She could survive whatever happened to her, she should have been in Damian's place. Her movements became hysterical as she raced forwards, Clara doing her best to keep her from falling over.

He didn't deserve to die, not now, not when they were so close to the end- not when she so desperately needed him. She loved him, she had been drawn to him since she first saw him on the bridge, standing confidently with his strange clothes and pale skin, his eyes filled with beautiful colors that intelligently absorbed everything around him. He had placed his trust and confidence in her when he informed her of the Time Gate and the affected, becoming her equal partner on their fateful journey. He couldn't die now, not before they saved the universe together. She couldn't continue on without him; he has to help her, he can't be dead, he can't be...

Finally she reached the airlock so she hobbled over to the side of the large doors where the sensor was located. She shakily waved her hands over the sensor, but it had been locked from the inside. She slammed her fists in frustration against the fragile sensors. She knew that there was little hope for Damian, certainly by now he would have been sucked off into space, all of the oxygen sucked from his body, his bones crushed by the Grog's deadly pincers-

The Doctor suddenly appeared at her side, his expression somber as he held his sonic screwdriver at the ready. Unable to open the doors herself, Jane mutely stepped to the side, allowing him to shine his screwdriver against the sensors, closing the airlock doors that opened into space. The sudden silence was deafening as the sucking vacuum noise diminished, leaving a dull buzzing: a remembrance to the horrible noise that Jane correlated with the commander's definite death. A green light shone from his screwdriver as the large doors slowly began to open.

Jane eagerly peered into the room and stepped away from Clara, ignoring the shooting pain surging through her as she rested her weight on her decimated ankle. As soon as the doors were wide enough for her to fit through she surged inside, frantically glancing all around her. The room was completely empty, no Grog in sight; her eyes raked the area, focusing on a rope that descended from the wall near the controls to attach to a form lying motionless in the corner.

_There he was._ A strangled sob escaped her lips as she hobbled into the room, heading straight for the body lying motionless on the ground. She couldn't believe her immense luck that Damian hadn't been pulled out into space; miraculously he had been able to pull on a black vest that was kept as a safety measure near the controls, it secured him inside of the room via the means of a strong rope, keeping him from being sucked out by the vacuum of space.

Just because he was there didn't mean that he was alive. Her pulse pounded as she hobbled to him, fear creeping into her bones as she imagined multiple scenarios of his death, his motionless body frightening her. The Grog could have trapped him after he got the vest on, crushing his bones with his pincers; once the airlock opened there was no doubt that all of the air had been sucked from his lungs, leaving nothing behind as the room fell into the negative degrees, freezing his body and draining all of the warmth from him.

As she neared him she began to worry even more. He was lying on his stomach, motionless, his arms wrapped tight around his vest beneath his body, his legs bent at an awkward angle. She imagined him landing heavily once the airlock closed, as when the doors were open he would have undoubtedly been pulled so forcefully that his entire body would have been lifted into the air, the only thing keeping him from being sucked through the doors was a thin rope that desperately clung to the wall.

She fell to his side and placed a hand on his shoulder, shocked by how cold he was. She rolled him onto his back, her eyes desperately scanning his body. It didn't look like the Grog had damaged him in any way, his limbs were all still attached and she could see no signs of broken bones. His pale face was extremely pallid, his lips blue while dark bags hung under his eyes, his black hair tangled in a frantic mess atop his head. She sobbed as she said his name, her hand sliding to his throat to feel for a pulse, her fingers becoming chilled by his freezing cold skin.

She could feel no movement in his veins, no rhythmic beating of his heart that signalled his vitality. Instead she felt cold stillness, attesting to the fact that her darkest fears had been realized. Damian was dead.

They had gotten so close; they hadn't had much time to be together to learn about each other, their relationship overshadowed by the daunting reality of the end of the universe. Even with all that was at stake, she had been drawn to him and his sharp eyes, his enigmatic smile, his warm fingers wrapped around her own. She couldn't imagine herself continuing their task without him, he encompassed everything about their mission and he deserved to see it through to the end. It was too soon for him to go; she had wanted to spend all of the time that she could with him, all the way to the Time Gate and the edge of the universe, and perhaps even beyond that should their mission be successful. She felt like all of her hope for her future and been wrenched out from under her feet, even though she knew from the beginning how high the stakes were.

Her body began convulsing as she sobbed, grieving for her loss, cursing for her poor luck. She knew that everyone around her eventually died, the ultimate end was inevitable, but she felt robbed. If she had a choice she would have spent the rest of his life with him, watching him grow old yet loving him all the same, but that future had suddenly evaporated as she stared at his lifeless, cold body beneath her.

She couldn't accept it. He couldn't be dead, he had a mission to finish. He had to take them to the Time Gate and help them blow it up. He had to be alive. Determined, Jane rose to her knees and positioned herself over his body, weaving her hands together and placed her palms on his chest to begin doing compressions. She pushed all of her weight into her rhythmic movements as she performed CPR, trying to get his heart pumping again. She leaned forwards and planted her lips onto his, forcing herself to stay even though the cold was shockingly sharp. She breathed warm air into his lungs and went back to doing her compressions, her movements methodical as she repeated them over and over.

Time progressed, dragging along at a slow pace as the harsh reality began to sink in that Damian just wasn't going to come back. Out of the corner of her eye Jane noticed the Doctor and Clara keeping their respectable distance, their expressions showing their concern and doubt. Jane pressed on, pushing hard onto his body and then breaking to breathe warm air into his lungs, feeling heartened as his body began to warm. Over and over she compressed his torso countless times, taking breaks only to breathe air into him.

She felt movement beneath her, only a slight twitch, but it was enough to keep her going, her hope expanding. She pressed her lips against his once more, surging warm air into his lungs. Upon her release his blue cupid bow lips parted slightly, inhaling a small breath of air. Suddenly he began coughing, the movement racking his entire body. She shouted his name in joy, quickly rolling him to his side as he convulsed and coughed: alive.

The Doctor and Clara rushed to her side as Jane stared jovially towards Damian, rubbing his shoulder for warmth as he tried to catch his breath. No words could describe the depth of emotion she was feeling, her overwhelming sense of relief and happiness palpable in the air around her. Damian shuddered from the cold, his breathing more controlled as he sucked in raspy breaths, the air wheezing from his lungs as he exhaled.

She leaned forwards and showered him with kisses, mapping his forehead and high cheekbones with her lips, not caring that she was being over excessive. He opened his eyes, his face gaunt and sunken as he looked up at her. She rested her face inches above his, grinning at him with triumphant relief.

"You altruistic idiot," she condemned jokingly, watching as one of her tears fell onto his cheek.

His lips pulled into a strained smile, his eyes showing his amusement. Wanting to wipe that smirk right off his face, Jane leaned forwards and planted their lips together for a satisfyingly deep kiss.

She heard a cough from behind her. "You should probably let him breathe," the Doctor warned.

She released Damian and sat up, the two of them breathing heavily as they stared at each other. She helped Damian sit forwards, his body shivering uncontrollably as he slowly moved his head to look around him. His body was still freezing and he hadn't quite caught his breath yet, but he was attentive and warming up rapidly.

"How about we never do that again, ok?" Clara said, her brown eyes looking between the three of them.

"No promises. I rather liked that shuttle," the Doctor replied dreamily, his lips pulled up into a mocking smile.

Clara lightly punched his shoulder and squinted up her nose in frustration.

"Hey, that hurt!" he complained, rubbing his shoulder tenderly though it was apparent that she hadn't done any real harm.

Jane ran her fingers into Damian's messy hair to try to unravel the tangles, their eyes connecting. "Clara's right. Don't do that again. We don't need you sacrificing yourself for us."

He grabbed her hand and pulled it away from him, the clear color of his eyes swimming between cyan blue, lime green and gold. "You told me that you couldn't let your friends get hurt," he muttered, his voice deep and raspy. "I wasn't under any such obligations."

Jane slid her fingers back into his hair and pulled him forwards into another kiss. She couldn't imagine why he would believe that she didn't care whether or not he got hurt, but hopefully her kiss chased any doubts from his mind. Upon her release she slid her finger over his face, tracing down his temple to his high zygomatic arch. "You are now," she whispered against his lips.

"We should really get going, we are kind of on a time schedule here," the Doctor said impatiently, pacing around the entrance to the airlock.

Jane sat back from Damian, her heart content. He was alive and they had a universe to save; together.


	25. 25 The Time Gate

Damian struggled to get to his feet, his breathing still ragged. Having all of the air sucked from his lungs in zero degrees temperature as his entire body was buffeted by powerful winds was a painful experience to go through, and his lungs still felt as though they were on fire. His hands shook as he placed them underneath him to push himself onto his feet, and he noticed that his fingertips had turned blue. He let out an uncontrollable shiver as he rose, feeling self conscious as everyone's eyes were turned to him.

Jane also rose to her feet, swaying and almost tumbling when she placed her right leg down. He had seen the Grog hold Jane in the air by her ankle before he reached the far wall where a few phasers were located, and he knew that her bones would most likely be completely shattered. She stumbled over to him, so he held out an arm to catch her though he felt dizzy and could hardly even support his own weight. Clara moved forwards to see if she could help, but Jane waved her away.

Their procession began moving forwards, the Doctor already far ahead and nearing the Tardis, Clara hurrying to catch up to him. Damian rested as much weight on Jane as she did on him as they slowly moved forwards, both of them weary and weak.

Once they finally entered the Tardis Jane hobbled up to the center control and to the stairs that shot off to the side and promptly sat down on the second step, pulling Damian down with her. He eased his long legs out in front of him, glad for the respite. They still had to get the missiles by somehow wrapping the tardis around the large container, making the missiles miraculously appear in one of the infinite rooms of the spaceship. His mind reeled as he tried to grasp the concept, but he decided that it was just too impossible to comprehend. Next they would have to transport to the Time Gate, as apparently the tardis could appear anywhere.

He let out a sigh, the impossible functions of the tardis mind boggling and the aspect of their mission seeming so far away. He needed to regain his strength- he had just recently died, he thought incredulously. If Jane was content with taking a moment to sit and let them recuperate, then he was more than willing to cooperate.

His eyes glanced over to her and he witnessed her expression as she flinched, her fingers tenderly pulling at her boot. The heel of her boot was completely squished, the leather material bent and warped around her ankle. She began pulling it off, letting out silent peals of anguish. Once it was removed she set it aside, revealing her purple bruised and swollen foot.

She gingerly ran her fingers over her ankle, her face twisted into pain. Her teeth clenched tightly as she suddenly squeezed her ankle with all her might and twisted, her bones making a loud popping noise. Damian reached out a hand to steady her as she released her ankle and fell backwards, Damian's grip keeping her upright as she took in shallow breaths and shut her eyes tight from the pain. He watched as her breathing began to lengthen, her foot began to go back to its normal size as the bruises began fading away.

They waited in silence as the two of them regained their composure, Damian slowly warming up as his mind became clearer and Jane rapidly healing her foot. The Doctor was busy fiddling with controls, obviously impatient but willing to let them take a moment to recuperate. Clara was content to stand off to the side and watch them with eager eyes, apparently acting as the restraining force for the Doctor to make him wait patiently.

After another moment or two Jane arched out her leg and held her foot out into the air and wiggled her toes, her slender foot back to normal and completely healed. She picked up the boot and stared at it in disgust, and showed it to Damian. He examined it; its heel was completely mottled and he reasoned that it would be impossible for her to put her foot back inside.

"What do you say about me finishing this mission barefoot?" she asked, setting down her boot and moving for her other one.

Damian smirked. "From what I recall you still have a pretty powerful kick even when you're barefoot," he stated, the embarrassing memory of her kicking him in the head during their fight still painful to recall.

She smiled and wrenched off her other boot.

"Hey, there's no being barefoot in my tardis!" the Doctor said, ambling around the controls towards them.

Jane picked up her demolished boot and tossed it to him, which he caught and held it for a moment to stare at the ruined sole.

"Like you have a problem with being barefoot in here-remember that one time you went barefoot on the moon?" Jane chided, pulling on the rail to get to her feet.

He pointed her boot towards her. "Technically I was in a hospital that happened to be on a moon-along with a Judoon platoon," he said with glee from the rhyme, "but I had to remove my shoes because of radiation. I had no choice."

Jane peered at the boot that he continued to point towards her and placed a hand on her hip. "I'm not putting my shoes back on."

"Fine," The Doctor retorted, quickly tossing her boot over the railing to fall to a section below. "Let's just get going then."

Jane walked up to the controls and began pressing buttons and pulling switches, Damian watching with amusement as he remained on the stairs. The whirring and whooshing sounds began resounding around the room until they suddenly stopped when she flicked a switch, the room falling silent.

The Doctor furrowed his brow in frustration. "Have you been talking to River?" He asked irritably, flicking the same switch that she just pressed, the noise instantly resuming.

"Yes. You leave your parking brakes on."

"I like the noise! It's my signature!" he defended.

Jane rolled her eyes and went back to work, quickly flicking multiple switches and typing in several codes into one of the monitors. "Alright, the missiles are on the tardis."

Damian glanced around him, not noticing anything different. His eyes roamed to the doorway that extended beyond the top of the stairs, and another door that was on the other side of the console. It was daunting to believe that the tardis, that appeared no bigger than a phone booth on the outside, was big enough to carry a huge cargo container in one of its infinite number of rooms.

"Damian would you like to do the honors of putting in the coordinates for the Time Gate?" Jane asked, wrenching him out of his speculative thought process. He nodded and came to his feet and walked to the console, staring into a monitor. He typed in the coordinates and stepped to the side, allowing the Doctor and Jane to get to work flipping switches and setting their course for the edge of the universe. The entire room began rocking so Damian quickly reached his hands for the railing to support himself, still wary of his range of capabilities.

All too soon the noise stopped and the rocking halted. "Alright, we're here!" the Doctor exclaimed triumphantly. "I've positioned us above the planet the Gate's located on because it's the closest I could get." He began moving towards the door.

How could they already be there? It was a several days journey from their previous location, there was no way that they could have travelled the entire distance in such a short amount of time. The Doctor moved to the door and flung it open, the sight beyond the doors making Damian reel in awe.

He walked towards the entrance, his jaw slack as he stared forwards in amazement. The door opened directly off into space, but the atmosphere remained in the room and they were able to breathe normally. A huge whirling mass of flashing purple and black lights the size of a planet lay before them. He had been to the Time Gate before, and it hadn't looked like this. What he was accustomed to was a small planet colored green and blue, surrounded by black emptiness.

Now it was as though he were peering into another dimension, the edges of the universe folding and merging back on itself, tendrils of light extending outwards and spreading rapidly. It was a kaleidoscope of color, the entire mass swirling and twirling majestically. Flares of light exploded from the celestial mass, the rays zooming past the tardis and disappearing into the once blank expanse that was now filled with color.

Jane stepped to his side, her barefeet plodding silently against the metal tardis floor as she stared in awe at the massive connecting point between two universes. "I don't think we have enough missiles," she said dryly.

"Ah, well, that certainly proves to be a problem, doesn't it?" the Doctor said, stepping back inside the tardis. He looked at Damian. "Was it always this _big?_"

Damian swallowed, his mouth suddenly dry. "No. No, it was just a small doorway, only big enough for one person to pass through at a time." He stared at the swirling mass that encompassed the entire planet, its color seeping into its surroundings as space itself was dyed purple, the color intensifying the closer one looked at the center. "It was in a room, on the planet, not _the_ planet itself."

"Good! We'll just have to go back in time a bit to when the collision first started happening and destroy the Time Gate before it gets big!" The Doctor slammed the door shut and ran back to the console.

Damian stared at him in shock, his brain rapidly firing through all of the repercussions that would occur if they went back in time. "Wait, if we destroy it before the affections start taking place, does that mean that I'll never have been sent to Jane's ship?"

"Don't be ridiculous." The Doctor stated, fiddling with the controls. "You and Jane are with me, so your timelines will still be in tact. I'm not rewriting _your_ timelines, I'll just be rerouting what happened to the rest of the universe!"

"Can you do that? Stop everything from happening before it happens?" he asked incredulously.

"Certainly," Jane piped up, plodding over to the console as well, her expression hopeful. "Once he blew up his entire universe in order to rewrite everything."

"Really?" Clara blurted, staring at the Doctor with a mix of admiration and shock.

The Doctor grinned and floundered about as if in embarrassment. "Oh, you know, minor details-" he said, waving his hands dismissively.

The tardis suddenly lurched forwards and the four of them were thrown from their feet. Damian landed on his hands and knees but wasn't hurt. The Doctor hurriedly scrambled up and peered at the monitor, clutching onto the console. "We were hit by pure time energy," he said amazedly. Damian looked around him as the lights within the tardis intensified and flared brightly before dimming to return to their normal setting.

They all regained their feet, Damian quickly walking to Jane's side.

"Is it dangerous?" Clara asked, looking towards the Doctor.

He fiddled with a few levers and peered at the screen. "No, the tardis just received an increase of energy from the blast; it's perfectly safe." His eyes brightened with delight as he peered at the three of them. "We can go back in time and fix everything before the collision started. Damian, when did the collision first start taking place?"

"Eight days ago," he responded. The Doctor immediately began typing and pushing different buttons on the console. "Wait-" Damian interrupted. "What if it works? What will happen to me? To all of the people who have been affected-the people on the alternate universe who have been affected because of of the meddling by the people passing through the gate?"

The Doctor instantly lost his smile and paused what he was doing to stare at Damian in contemplation. He clenched his jaw and lifted his face forwards slightly. "I don't know," he admitted. He paused for a moment longer and tilted his head to the side to peer at him. "When did the Time Gate start working?"

"Three years ago is when-" he halted himself, quickly changing his pronoun before continuing, "When the first scientist passed through the gate."

"Three years?!" The Doctor shouted, incredulous. "Give someone a time machine and within three years they've already set their universe in line for imminent and total destruction!" He slammed down on a few levers in his frustration.

Damian bristled in anger, insulted by the Doctor's derogatory statement, but remained silent. He knew that most of the changes hadn't taken place until recently, not until after-

"So are we going to stop them from creating the Time Gate three years ago, or destroy it just before the universes start colliding about a week ago?" Clara asked.

The question hang in the air, none of them willing to answer.

"Alright, before we make the decision we have to know all of the facts." The Doctor stated, his gaze piercing Damian. "The Time Gate leads to an alternate universe, that was originally an identical, parallel universe to your own?"

"Yes," Damian responded, wondering what the Doctor was getting at.

"Three years ago a group of scientists created a time machine that transported them into that universe, and they called the machine the Time Gate."

"Yes. Eventually w-_-they_ could choose the specific date, time, and location where they arrived on the alternate universe." Damian confirmed.

"Right, so they began making changes to the universe they entered-each change having drastic effects, until three years later so many things had been altered that the Time Gate began backfiring and the entire alternate universe started being drawn into your own."

Damian nodded somberly, gritting his teeth to prevent him from correcting the Doctor. The changes hadn't been part of the Time Gate's purpose at first; purposefully altering the universe for personal needs and selfish desires hadn't taken place until quite recently. The universes hadn't started colliding until after the drastic changes began taking place.

"For how long have you been working as a scientist at the Time Gate?" Jane asked quietly.

He turned to look at Jane, who was peering at him with understanding eyes. He wondered how she knew about his past: all of his records should have been erased. Having a brother at the very center of the government certainly had its perks, the ability to delete any record was one of them.

He contemplated what would happen if he told them the truth. Would they blame them for everything that happened? Blame him for the murder of millions of lives, the cause of all of the chaos and the collide itself? He knew that they had every right to.

"I left three months ago," he defended, affirming her claim all the same.

"Why? Did you get bored with killing millions of people with some new virus or destroying entire planets; tired of being the child with the magnetizing glass above the anthill?" the Doctor asked darkly, his voice full of accusation.

"No. I _never_ participated in any of that." He felt sick to his stomach, knowing that even though he never did anything like the Doctor suggested, all of those things came to be because of him. "I was forced away because I was staunchly against such actions." His hands twitched in frustration from the anger he still felt about the subject.

"Forced away?" the Doctor asked mockingly. "You mean fired?"

"They couldn't fire me because I built it! They had to send me halfway across the universe and threaten to kill me if I ever returned!"

The room fell into silence as the revelation hung in the air.

Damian sucked in a deep breath of air to calm himself before he began to explain. "I created the Time Gate. Three years ago I passed into the alternate universe, though I didn't know that at the time. I thought I had created a time machine, one that was capable of sending someone anywhere in time, past, present, or future. It didn't take long to realize what it really was. I spent the next few years perfecting the Time Gate, making it capable of also teleporting one to land anywhere in space. Next I made the calculations more precise: capable of planning the exact date and location down to the minute and the inch.

"The authorities and other private parties soon found out about what we had developed, but the Admiral had been able to keep them off our trail. I know that they had wanted access to my device for years, but my brother was able to protect the Time Gate and keep it under my control. I only used the Time Gate to observe, I never wanted to make any changes and made sure that my fellow scientists felt the same. I'm certain that we weren't without our faults as we used the machine, but we never did anything that would warrant such mass chaos and destruction."

"Your brother is the Admiral?" Jane asked.

Damian nodded before continuing on with his narrative. "Three months ago the Time Gate fell out of my brother's hands and he lost all protection over it. Another party entered and stole it from me, forcing me away. Whenever I even neared this edge of the universe they would attempt to shoot me out of the sky."

"Do you know who they are, the ones who took over the Time Gate?" Clara asked, her eyes wide.

He solemnly shook his head. "Several of the scientists who I worked with for all of those years remained behind to help them with their tasks. They did everything you described," he said, looking towards the Doctor, "and worse. They felt nothing for all of the atrocities they committed, as nothing they ever did ever came back to hurt them."

"Until now," Jane said morbidly.

"Exactly."

"So technically," the Doctor interrupted. "All of this," he held his hands out wide, "All of this chaos has been wrought in only _three months!?" _

"More or less," Damian affirmed.

He rubbed his hands through his hair. "That's what happens when time machines fall into the wrong hands! They certainly moved quickly, didn't they?"

"So now we have a date; it's not too far back and yet it's early enough that there'll be no chance that the universes would have started their collide." Clara stated energetically, looking towards Damian in excitement. "What was the date when you left them?"

"So we go back to the day when I left the Time Gate." Damian said instead of answering. "What will happen to the past me? Will I run into him?"

"Ah-timey wimey, details, details." The Doctor waved him away, striding around the console. "What was the date again?"

"We are dealing with the past, I've had lots of experience with changing the past, and look at what's happening!" Damian stated angrily. "The entire universe is ending because of _my_ Time Gate! Don't tell me that we are going to fix all of this by altering time once again!"

"This is completely different!" The Doctor objected, tossing his hands into the air. "I actually know what I'm doing and I've had centuries of experience!"

"Are you immortal too? Is there anything else I should have known about you before I agreed to enter your ship?" Damian retorted. "Are you really the omnipotent being you claim to be; capable of erasing all of the mistakes that have been made and the millions of deaths that have occurred?!"

The Doctor remained silent for a moment as Damian seethed in anger. His voice more calm and controlled, the Doctor finally responded. "I am not immortal, but I do believe that I will be able to save this universe and the one that had been altered. I'm not omnipotent, and I make my mistakes," his voice dropped in pitch. "But I mean well, and I will do all that I can to make sure that your lives will be saved."

Daiman relented, realizing that the Doctor really did mean well. He had a mission to accomplish, to destroy the Time Gate before the universe was destroyed and everyone became affected. If he had the opportunity to stop all of the chaos from happening before all of the millions of deaths, then he should take it. Honestly it was an incredible opportunity, one that couldn't have happened if Jane's friends hadn't appeared with their time machine. He told the Doctor the precise date of when he had left the Time Gate and the scientists.

The Doctor put in the date and with a flick of a lever suddenly they lurched forwards, Damian fell into the console and clung on to the edge as the whirring noise intensified and the room was rocked back and forth.

The rocking eventually abated and the room was silent once more.

"So..." Clara said once it was silent, "everyone that had died on your ship, Triss, the big cockroach in a purple shirt, and everyone else in the universe, are alive now?"

"Yes, because now we're before the collide and before everyone became affected." Jane said, walking towards the door.

Damian swallowed, trying to wrap his mind around the subject. All of the millions of lives that had been taken, all because of his Time Gate, were fixed. However, he realized that if they didn't destroy it now, the future will still come to pass. He followed Jane to the door.

"I've parked us in the same spot, so we should be looking at the planet the Time Gate is located on," The Doctor explained.

Jane opened the door and the two of them peered out. A small planet was now in front of them where the huge rolling mass of light was once there before. It was a familiar sight to Damian, a place where he had spent several years of his life developing and eventually using the Time Gate.

The Doctor appeared at his side. "So where exactly is the Time Gate located? Do you mind putting in the coordinates?"

Damian nodded and moved back to the console to enter the data, once finished he moved aside and automatically walked to the railing, preparing for the now familiar mode of transport. The Doctor flipped the switches and once again he found himself rocking along with the Tardis's jolts and movements, the sound almost deafening. They landed with a halt.


	26. 26 Betrayal

"I should probably leave first," Damian said, running his fingers through his tangled hair to see if he could straighten it. "The scientists inside will probably be a bit frightened by the appearance of a big blue box in their work area."

"Oh, right, I forgot about that," the Doctor said. "Ask them to leave, will you? I don't want to blow any of them up."

Damian knew he probably looked terrible. He had died less than half an hour before and he had spent the last several days under the suffocating weight of the knowledge that their universe was going to end unless he was able to do something about it. He let his hands fall to his side as he moved towards the door, knowing that there wasn't anything he could do to make himself look any better. The scientists, the people who he once called his friends, would be astonished to see him like this. Hopefully he could convince them to leave so that he could destroy his work before they used it and ultimately destroy the universe because of their selfish actions.

He put his hand on the doorknob and pulled open the tardis door. The sight in front of him was a familiar one; he found himself in the place where he had spent several years of his life working on the Time Gate. The lab was very large with dull gray walls, and directly in front of him was a row computers lined up on desks; their purpose was for the meticulous recording of all of the changes and alterations taken place on the alternate universe. In the center of the lab was the main event; the very machine that he had spent years of his life developing; the cause of all of their problems for the past week. A wide set of metal stairs led up a few steps to a metal platform in the center of the room. His eyes were drawn to the swirling ethereal light that extended vertically in the middle of the platform, its shape much like a gate, ergo its name. The Time Gate itself.

The florescent lights emanated around the drab colored room, casting its brilliance all around. It represented exactly what he had just witnessed when the Doctor first took them to the Time Gate, albeit on a smaller scale. Huge metal arches surrounded the refulgent lighting, restraining it into place as the energy swirled and twisted involutions within itself. His attention was drawn to the side, where three scientist stood hovering together, peering at the Tardis and at him with fear in their eyes. He began to move towards them, opening his mouth to tell them to leave.

"What are you doing here?"

The snide voice sent his blood to run cold. He halted and slowly turned to look to the right at the entrance of the lab where three men were gathered around the doorway, his eyes focusing on the speaker. The man's stance was stiff and his back was completely straight, his aura of importance and power seeping off of him. His silver suit was impeccably pressed and the row of medallions that were pinned to his chest glimmered in the luminescent lighting. Gray eyes peered down a large nose in detest towards him.

His eyes flicked to the two men standing besides the Admiral, their magenta uniforms dark and almost rust colored, like the color of blood. Both of them had stern faces, their hair cropped short and their eyes and jaw set in a line of grim obedience, a look that came through many years of service as a foot soldier. They were huge men, experienced warriors only used for their brute force. Guns clung to the hips of either men, showing that whatever their purpose was for being at the Time Gate, it was not in order to keep the peace. They kept their hands at their side, ready to draw their weapons as they stared at him like how a hunter watches its prey.

He focused his attention back to the man in the center and grit his teeth. "I could ask you the same question, _brother."_

Zane furrowed his brows. "I believe that you were released from your service here and had been sent away-to never return, I might add."

"And I had thought that you had done all you could to help me return, but apparently you had no difficulties in arriving here on your own."

Thin lips pursed together as the Admiral strode into the room. "How quaint. Did you really believe that anything happens without my blessing? It was no chance that you found yourself booted from the operations."

Damian hissed. "It was you, it was all you!" He felt betrayed and duped, all of his life's work wrenched out from beneath him to be abused. "You're the one who made all of the changes, the one who killed all of those people and altered so much of history!"

"Hmm, yes," Zane hummed. "That's what I've been busying myself while I've been here, but the main question is what you are doing here, little brother."

With a lurch to his stomach Damian suddenly realized why so many changes had been made and why the altercations had sped so far out of control after he left. It was because his brother had taken over- the very person who vowed to help protect it, the one who called him to help him in the first place. It was all Zane's fault, and though at this point of his life the Admiral didn't know what his actions would entail, the fact that he had called Damian in utter desperation revealed how bad things really became. Damian felt his muscles tense as he straightened his stance. "I'm here to destroy the Time Gate."

The Admiral's eyes flared in anger. "You can't do that," he said forcefully. "Just because you are unfit to play with your own _toy,_ it doesn't mean that you can break it so that others won't be able to use it."

"I'm not unfit to use the Time Gate-in fact I was the only one who used it appropriately." Damian retorted in frustration, striding towards his brother. "And it is no _toy._ Because of this machine millions of people have been affected and died!" He stood directly in front of Zane, the two of them perfectly even in height and stature.

"That's what people do," the Admiral replied coldly, his eyes impassionate. "They die. We just hurry along the process to see the results. In fact, we were just about to instigate a new program that would elicit such a massacre-just so that we could test a new virus." His brother's lips curled into a sadistic grin.

He felt the urge to punch Zane in his nose, but instead he spoke, hissing through his teeth. "You smile because you know that none of their deaths will affect you; you arrogantly believe that you can destroy the lives of millions because they will have no personal effect on _you." _He held out a finger and pressed it against his brothers chest between one of his polished medals. "But you fail to realize that your actions will bring about your imminent destruction."

"Imminent destruction?" Zane chuckled in disbelief. "You tend to be so overly dramatic." He peered at his brother, his eyes roving down his body as his lips sneered in disgust. "Speaking of which-what are you wearing?"

Damian glanced down at himself to see his captain's uniform.

"Captain?" Zane asked.

Damian opened his mouth to object before he was interrupted.

"Admiral," Jane acknowledged, plodding to Damian's side with her bare feet, not snapping to attention like what was expected of her.

The Admiral sneered. "What is going on." He pointed at the tardis. "What is that thing, and how did you get here?"

"We are going to blow up the Time Gate, that's the tardis, and we got here through instantaneous teleportation and a bit of time travel," she said with mock brevity, appearing cheerful as though she were merely stating the weather.

Zane sputtered, his face turning red. "Do you take me as an imbecile? I'll have you know that I have every right to demote you." His eyes appeared to take on a darker hue as he glared evilly towards Jane, "or I could just send you away and never let you return."

Damian shivered at the implications. Zane planned on sending them through the Time Gate, where the only way they could return to this planet was to be called back by the control panel, which was located here in the lab. Once in the alternate universe they had no chance of returning unless someone on this side recalled them.

"Don't you dare threaten her," Damian warned, inching even closer to intimidate his brother.

Zane stood his ground, peeling his lips back into a snarl. "Why would you care?" You care for no one besides yourself."

"You're one to speak, you egotistical, narcissistic maniac,' Damian spit through clenched teeth.

"Are we just going to throw insults at each other or are you going to explain to me why you have the absurd idea to destroy your very own work?"

Damian clenched his fingers so tightly that his knuckles turned white. He knew that he would have to convince his brother to leave before they would be able to destroy the Gate, and hopefully evacuate everyone else there as well. "In three months the alternate universe will start seeping through the Time Gate, and all of the things that have been changed in the universe will begin happening to ours. It will come to a point that you will call me out of desperation to fix everything." His last comment made him feel a sick form of pleasure knowing that his brother was completely out of his depth and required his help.

"And you claim to know all of this because of your massive intellect in predicting the future and your overburdening desire to feel needed?" the Admiral replied in a snide hiss.

"Time travel, actually," Jane interjected. The Admiral turned his attention to her, his eyes flashing down to her bare feet with contempt. "We really did come from the future. The Time Gate went out of control and began merging the two universes, and so you called Damian and I to fix the problem and destroy the gate. Which we are going to do, before all of the death, chaos, and destruction happens."

Zane's nose flared when he heard Jane say his brother's name, his eyes flashing towards Damian in shock before his expression turned to repulsion. "Is this some joke? Do you honestly expect me to believe that you are from the future and that your ultimate mission is to annoy me?"

"Don't be so self-absorbed, Zane. It has nothing to do with you. We are here to destroy the Time Gate," Damian growled.

"I'm afraid that I can't let you do that."

"Millions of lives are at stake! It has to be destroyed!" He tried shouting some sense into him, but his older brother just bristled in anger.

"That fallacy is based on some preposterous idea that you're from the future! Look at you-playing dress up in captains clothing, your hair is a mess, and she's not even wearing shoes! There is no way that I should take you seriously!" Spittle formed on the edge of his lips as he continued, his face bright red in anger; "And if the case is true, then so be it! I don't care if they die!"

Damian pushed forwards violently, sending his brother flying backwards. The scientists shouted in indignation, rushing to the Admirals side to get him back to his feet. The two huge soldiers removed their guns from their holsters and pointed their weapons at him.

"LEAVE!" Damian shouted at his brother lying sprawled on the floor. "If you value your life then evacuate; we are going to decimate this place whether you are here or not!"

Zane sputtered as he furiously waved the scientists away and came to his feet on his own. He straightened his uniform with a jerk and then motioned towards his soldiers. "Koy, Xavier, push them through the portal." The soldiers put away their guns and began moving forward.

Damian glanced over to Jane, who raised an eyebrow at him. He nodded, and the two of them stood their ground. The guards rushed forwards, two tanks bent on destruction. Damian sidestepped the first one's grasp and jabbed a punch into the man's side, his other hand quickly swinging around to bash into the soldier's thick head as his knee flew up into the man's groin.

The man doubled over in pain but quickly turned to tackle into him. Damian had to give it to the man, he was relentless: a soldier made specifically for violence and fighting. Yet, even with all of his brute force and combat background, Damian knew the man had no chance against him. He pushed back into the soldier and slid backwards against the man's massive weight, unwilling to fall over. He brought up his knee again into the man's groin and then slammed his boot into the inside of both knees until the soldier fell to the floor.

Damian was pulled down awkwardly by heavy hands on his shoulders. Unwilling to give up his upper hand, he jabbed his fingers into hazel eyes and was able to twist out of the soldier's grasp. He stepped backwards and swung his leg out into the air, his boot connecting firmly to the side of the soldier's head. Skin broke and blood appeared on the man's temple as he fell heavily to the ground, completely unconscious. Slightly resentful that the fight had ended so early and had been so easy for him, he glanced towards Jane to see if she required any of his help.

Her body was flipping through the air, her thighs wrapping around the man's neck, though he was at least six feet tall and standing. She twisted her body, making the man two times her size begin his long descent to the floor, his head the first thing that crashed onto the metal. She rolled off of him and kicked him quickly in the stomach, but he was out cold. Her eyes connected with his as she jumped to her feet, a wide smile splitting her face. He returned her grin before turning to triumphantly look at his brother.

Zane stood fuming, his eyes as cold as ice as he glared directly at him.

"Now," Damian began, "I am going to destroy this area, and you have no right to stop me. I created this machine so I reserve every right to do as I wish with it, which is to blow this entire place to smithereens. I would suggest for you to evacuate the premises." His eyes flashed over to the scientists who huddled near the admiral, and he recognized several of them. "All of you."

The scientists glanced at the two downed soldiers before turning to look for confirmation from the Admiral. Zane waved them away but stood his ground, his eyes never leaving Damian's. The scientists turned and fled through the doorway, not wanting to be caught in the middle of the sibling rivalry.

"Jane, go tell the Doctor to get the missiles ready."

She looked between him and the Admiral, her jaw clenching in determination as she nodded. She turned and left, plodding silently back to the Tardis.

"So this is it then?" Zane drawled. "You are going to kill your own brother?"

Damian clenched his fists, reminding himself of all of the destruction his brother wrought; the millions killed, the planets destroyed. The people on Jane's ship. Now he had a culprit for all of the destruction; himself and his older brother. Damian and Zane Knight, co-collaborators in the destruction of the universe. One brother creating the device for the demolition while the other actually using it. It made him feel sick to his stomach.

Zane stepped closer. "How are you going to do it? Plant a bomb and watch the destruction from a safe distance away?" He approached one of the crumpled bodies of his soldiers. "Coward!" he hissed, turning away from him in disgust to crouch down, his fingers sliding over the gun located on the man's hip. Damian froze. "Why don't you face me like a man, and watch as the life leaves my eyes?" He slowly stood, turning to face Damian once more, his gun pointed towards himself, the handle facing his younger brother.

Damian's fingers twitched. He knew that Zane deserved to die; he was asking for it. He was uncaring and disregarded human life like a pile of trash; as emotionless as one of the affected. He deserved to die, but his hand did not move up to take the weapon, instead hung limp at his side.

"No?" A perverse grin spread over his lips. "No, I didn't think that you had it in you." He twisted his gun around and held it comfortably in his hand, now pointing the barrel of the laser towards Damian. "Pity." With a flash the gun swerved and a bright red light flashed into the room.

Damian flinched and shielded his hands from the garish light, not feeling any burst of pain. He looked where Zane had shot and saw the decimated body of the guard he had knocked out, his head completely blasted away. Zane quickly turned and repeated the process on the other guard, a bright red light again flashing through the air to leave behind a decapitated corpse.

"What was that for!?" Damian shouted furiously.

"Imbeciles," Zane muttered, turning the weapon to face his younger brother once more.

Fed up by his brothers actions, his mind too enravished with rage to comprehend his actions rationally, Damian flung himself forwards and crashed into his older brother like a hurricane. The gun went flying through the air, knocked from Zane's grasp as the two of them began punching at each other. Damian was quicker and faster than his older brother, though his brother had more years of experience and his blows were much more powerful and vicious. The two of them progressed backwards, the Admiral on the retreat.

Damian punched and sent his fists flying, connecting a few of them while several of them were knocked away. They neared the stairs to the Time Gate and Damian shoved forcefully, his brother tripping against the bottom stair and falling awkwardly onto his back. He pounced onto his brother, but at the last second his brother jabbed up his leg and successfully forced his knee between his legs. Stars blinded Damian's vision as he fell to his side, suddenly regretful of the pain he had caused to the soldier.

Zane scrambled up the stairs and jumped to his feet. Damian got up and his hands and knees to prop himself up, but suddenly the Admiral's boot connected into the bottom of his chin and sent him flying to the ground, flipping him onto his back. Pain rocketed through him from head to foot, and he suddenly wished that he was back in the airlock getting the air sucked from his lungs again rather than experience the excruciating pain he was now in. He heard his brother's footsteps as he slowly descended the stairs. He sat up, his head rocking from the motion, his jaw and groin on fire.

The sight of his brother was ethereal as the Admiral leaned over him, his backdrop of luminescent, swirling lighting making his brother's form look as dark as a shadow compared to the brilliance around him.

"Dearest little brother, have you learned nothing?" Zane teased, his voice mocking. "You will never win against me. I will always be better than you." He crouched down besides him, his silver suit crinkling as he reached out a hand to Damian's head. His fingers tied themselves in his hair and with a lurch Zane wrenched his younger brother to his feet. Damian's scalp felt like it was going to be torn from his skull; he wrapped one hand around his brother's wrist to attempt to get free or at least alleviate the pain as he twisted and lurched to get out of his grasp.

Zane jabbed a hand into Damian's throat, making him cough and become even more disoriented than he already was and twisted him towards the Time Gate, pulling him by his hair. Damian's eyes grew wide as he realized what was happening, the Time Gate mere feet away as Zane propelled him forwards, towards it. He jerked backwards, his head twisting uncomfortably because his brother still had a hold in his hair.

"Goodbye, brother!" Zane shouted, pushing him forwards.

Damian felt time slow as he fell forwards, his eyes mesmerized by the many particles of light flashing and twisting directly in front of as though they were expectant of his arrival. He looked to the side of the Time Gate at the metal arch that contained the light in place, and flung out his hand to grasp hold of it. His fingers on his right hand grasped hold of the surprisingly cool metal, and as he pulled himself to the right his forwards momentum caused his left hand to soar into the light. His limb disappeared from sight as a tingling and buzzing sensation erupted all of the way up his arm. He clung to the metal and wrenched himself back, pulling his arm back out of the light as the light twirled around his limb, being drawn out with him.

"Damian!"

He turned to glance back and saw Jane leave the tardis and race towards him, but he quickly turned his attention back to his murderous brother who was lunging towards him, his hands extended out in front of him to once again push him into the light. Damian stepped away from the arch and stood directly in the middle of the Time Gate where there was no chance that he could save himself this time. He squatted into a protective stance, and as soon as his brother's hands pushed against his chest, he grasped Zane's shoulders and twisted as hard as he could, flinging his brother behind him and using Zane's forwards momentum against him. He watched as steely gray eyes opened wide in shock before disappearing into the light, along with the rest of his body.

The light twirled and revolved hungrily as his brother disappeared from sight, the light intensifying momentarily before dimming back to its usual splendor. Damian stood mesmerized by the sight of the dancing light. His brother was gone, with no chance of coming back into this universe unless he drew him back. He flexed his fingers, knowing that there was no way that he would allow that. He was going to destroy this place and never look back.

He was drawn back into reality when a slender hand slipped into his. He glanced down to his side to look at Jane, her hair back in a messy braid and her eyes looking into his expectantly. He squeezed her fingers comfortingly, knowing that it was finally time for them to finish their task. She offered him a tender smile and he suddenly felt immensely glad that she was at his side. They had experienced a lot together, and now it was time for it all to finally end.


	27. 27: Goodbyes

"What is going on here?" the Doctor shouted as he exited the tardis. "Have you gotten everyone to leave yet?"

Jane turned to look at him as he and Clara stepped into the lab, keeping her fingers intertwined with Damian. He turned as well.

"Ew," Clara said as she caught sight of the two men lying in a pool of blood, their heads obliterated. Jane didn't know when that had happened and glanced up at Damian questioningly.

"I didn't mean for you to kill them!" The Doctor shouted ignorantly.

She watched the subtle movements of Damian's expression as his jaw clenched and his eyes sank into a look of weariness. "I didn't. My brother did."

Clara turned away from the corpses and peered at Damian. "Wait, your brother, the Admiral who helped you with the Time Gate?"

A surge of anger flashed into Damian's eyes as he nodded, so Jane edged a bit closer to him so that he would know that she was there for him.

"Well where is he?" The Doctor asked. Jane glanced back at him and watched as he walked around the room, carefully sidestepping the morbid area and heading straight for the computers.

"I pushed him through the Time Gate," Damian admitted.

"Wait a minute, so your brother was the one who made all of the changes with the Time Gate, and not some other party?" Clara asked.

Jane was surprised at how quickly the Doctor's companion had caught onto the situation; she really was clever.

Damian began stepping down the steps so Jane walked with him. "Unfortunately, yes," he said, his voice deep as the sense of betrayal coated his tone.

"Where'd you send him?" The Doctor asked inquisitively, taking out his sonic screwdriver to examine one of the computers.

"I don't know, but I feel bad for the people he will torment next. I should have killed him," he said regrettably.

"Oh, don't say that," the Doctor said. "Everyone deserves a second chance." He peered at his screwdriver. "It looks as though you sent him to fifteenth century Wallachia, or Romania, on the Planet Earth. I don't think he'll get into too much trouble."

Her mind brought her memories of what had gone in the world during that time, and since she had lived there herself it was easy to pick out all of the important facts. "Do you think he'll run into Vlad the Impaler?" she asked, thinking of the similarities the two men had.

The Doctor turned to look at the decapitated soldiers, his expression morose. "Maybe he is Vlad the Impaler, and we just sent him back in time."

"So his brother could be Dracula?" Clara asked.

Damian had absolutely no idea what they were talking about, that much was obvious by the look on his face. It had been centuries since vampires were popular, as once space travel began and other planets and aliens were found the mythologies began to go extinct as more intriguing facts came to light.

"From what I know about him he's a backstabbing ruler who takes what he wants and rises into power with ease, and while he has some bad tendencies," she pointed at the soldiers, "he is actually an excellent leader and has run our universe smoothly for several years."

"Yep, sounds like him!" The Doctor said, sliding his screw driver back into his pocket. "We just created Dracula!"

Jane chuckled as she looked at the confusion etched across Damian's face, and decided to change the subject before he started asking questions. "So, Doctor, what next?"

"Well, all of the missiles are on the tardis, and since everyone has evacuated the area, I think it's about time for us to destroy the Time Gate!" He began moving back to the tardis.

"Wait," Clara interjected. "How are we going to get back to our universe?"

The Doctor halted mid step.

"If we got here because of the time energy escaping the Time Gate, how are we going to get back to our universe if we destroy that energy?"

"Ah, that proves to be a problem, doesn't it?" he asked. He ran his fingers through his hair and began to pace back and forth, the wheels in his mind turning as he tried to think of a way for them to get back. Suddenly he strode towards Clara and placed his hands on her shoulders to look directly into her wide brown eyes. "Clara," he said gravely, "we might just have to stay on this universe."

"No,' Jane interjected, slipping her hand out of Damian's and striding forwards. "I know your future Doctor, and it's not one that you spend on this universe. You have to get back to your own universe because you still have a long life to live there."

He let go of Clara and began pacing again. "Alright, alright. Energy, tardis needs energy, Time Gate has energy-" He clapped his hands together. "If we put the tardis into the Time Gate, and before we get pulled into the alternate universe if I push the buttons right that energy will instead propel us back into our own universe!" He raced up the steps to the Time Gate and withdrew his sonic screwdriver. He held his screwdriver up to the swirling light to examine it. "I'll leave the missiles with you two and you can blow it up after we leave!" He shouted from over his shoulder.

Jane contemplated the actions she would have to take in order to get that done. She'd have to find a spaceship and transport all of the missiles onto it, and then transfer them over to the ship's control before she could use them. It would take some time, but at least she would know that the Doctor was safe and was able to get back into his own uniform.

"No, no!" The Doctor shouted as he peered at his screwdriver in anger. "It's not enough!" He dejectedly started walking back down the stairs.

"What do you mean it's not enough?" Clara asked.

"The energy that sucked us into this universe came from two colliding universes; you saw the Time Gate at that time, it was _huge!_" He pointed angrily at the small mass of swirling light behind him. "That isn't hardly anything. The energy is there, but it needs to be amplified tenfold in order to have enough juice to get us out of here."

"How could you amplify that energy?" Damian asked.

The Doctor rubbed his jaw. "Well, I could just go back to when it was all big and fly my tardis into it then. But I'm not even certain it will look the same, since apparently your brother was behind it all your universes might not even begin to collide."

The room fell into silence as they contemplated their actions.

"No," Damian finally stated, his voice firm. "We destroy it now, I don't want to risk the chance of that ever happening again. Even if it helps you to get back into your universe, I don't want our universes to even start colliding and affect everything here."

The Doctor began pacing again.

"What about the missiles?" Jane suggested. "Their explosion will let off a huge amount of energy and just might get you that extra boost you need."

The Doctor's face brightened. "Blow up the Time Gate just as we enter it, brilliant! If I time it just right and enter the Gate just as the explosion occurs, that would give us just the right amount of energy needed for us to get back into our universe!"

"_If_ you time it right," Clara pointed out.

The Doctor turned to point his finger at her. "When has my timing ever been off?" His face then blanched, "don't answer that." He straightened his bow tie. "I am a master at timing, and I'll get this right."

"If you don't get it right, we will either enter another universe-not our own with no chance of ever leaving it, or get blown up into millions of tiny pieces," Clara said morbidly.

"Do you trust me?" he asked.

Clara stood resolute. "Yes."

He turned his attention to Jane and to Damian. "Well then, what do you think?"

Jane knew that it was a risky procedure and the stakes were high. But it was the best chance they had, and she trusted the Doctor. "I trust you," she stated firmly.

Damian's eyes hooded over as he peered at the Doctor. "It'll destroy the Time Gate, and that's all I want. You don't have to sacrifice yourself in order to destroy my creation."

"Ah, but I think it will be so much fun to go out with a bang!" The Doctor said excitedly as he flashed his hands out in front of him to simulate and explosion.

Clara punched his shoulder. "You better not be intending to kill us all," she warned ferociously.

He rubbed his shoulder tenderly, "of course not! I'll get you back home, promise."

Jane smiled at him affectionately, immensely grateful that he had been there to help them. She stepped forwards and wrapped her arms around him, and he returned her embrace. "Thank you Doctor," she whispered into his ear.

"Oh, it was nothing," he dismissed, holding her tightly.

Jane chuckled. "Right: you entered an entirely different universe, survived the attack of a Grog, took us back in time, and now will be risking your life to save us all. Nothing at all," she replied sarcastically, stepping back to hold his shoulders at arms length. She peered into his ancient eyes which were so much younger than hers. "Take care and be safe."

He tenderly bopped his finger against her nose. "You too."

She stepped away from him and approached Clara. They embraced each other. "Once you get there safely," Jane said to her, "come and tell me that you're all right." She of course was mentioning her past self. She didn't recall and the Doctor ever telling her of this adventure, but perhaps he memory would come back to her now that she had experienced it.

"Promise," Clara agreed as she stepped away from her.

Damian approached the Doctor and held out his hand. The Doctor accepted his grasp. "Thank you," Damian stated. The Doctor nodded.

Damian turned towards Clara, holding out his hand but Clara instead wrapped her arms around him. "Take good care of Jane, ok?" She said as she released him. Damian smiled and looked at Jane affectionately.

"Ok, you two should probably get out of the blast radius. Are there any ships or shuttles nearby?" the Doctor asked.

"Yes. I can take Jane to one and we'll leave the area," Damian suggested.

"Good, good." The Doctor stated. "Right, well, I'll see you around then! Well, the past you I suppose," he said to Jane. He then turned to Clara and began leading her back to the tardis. "Let's save the universe and get you home!"

Jane turned and began following Damian out the door. He led her down a few hallways into another hangar area where a few shuttles were at the ready. There was an empty space where a shuttle was kept before, hopefully it was the one the scientists had escaped on. They entered a shuttle and made their way to the pilot seats. Strapping on his seatbelt, Damian turned to look at her. "Do you think they'll make it?"

"Let's hope so."

"He's completely insane."

Jane laughed. "Yep. He's just a mad man with a box who goes around risking his life to save the universe, and other universes as well apparently."

"If we ever see him again I'll have to make it up to him."

Jane hummed in agreeance, hoping that the Doctor will be able to make it back to his own universe and that there would be no reason for him to enter theirs again. She started up the shuttle and Damian helped her with the controls. "Shall we watch the fireworks?" She asked.

Damian's lips split into a smile. "I thought you'd never ask."


	28. 28 Explosion

Damian was content. It was a strange feeling for him, considering all that he's gone through for the past few days. He's faced death and betrayal, suffocated by an impossible responsibility to save the lives of millions, whose lives were at stake because of his own creation. His machine that he had spent most of his life developing was going to be destroyed, and yet he felt content.

Perhaps that feeling came from being able to spend time with the person sitting to his right. He was content because even in the face of all their troubles, he had the captain by his side. He glanced over towards Jane in admiration as she began setting up communications as he flew them into the atmosphere.

"Doctor?" she said aloud once the communications were up.

"Jane, hello! I've just gotten all of the missiles up and armed and I've set the tardis for our home destination." The Doctor's voice came over the intercom.

"Excellent, we are almost in a safe location," she affirmed as she glanced out the window as the ground began to fall further and further beneath them as they were raised into the air.

Damian flew them higher until he felt that they were far enough away and slowly began to turn them around, the small lab area thousands of feet below them. "Alright Doctor, we're getting front row seats for the explosion and we're now in a safe location," Damian said.

"Good, good," came the voice over the intercom. "Are you ready to save the universe?"

"Yes," both Damian and Jane said together.

"Wish me luck!" They listened as the sounds of buttons being pressed sounded over the intercom, before the Doctor's shouting drowned out the noise; "Geronimo!"

They watched out of the window of their shuttle as suddenly the ground far beneath them shook and the entire lab burst into a big mass of rolling fire and debris, fluorescent color shooting up into the air as well. The noise of the explosion rocketed up through the air, almost deafening even though they were well out of range. The noise over the intercom fizzled and went dead. The Time Gate was destroyed. None of the chaos that they experienced on the ship would ever occur. All of the crew members that the captain lost would still be alive, and so would all of the others who had been affected all throughout the universe.

Damian wasn't sure what he was going to do next. He no longer had the Time Gate, which had been his main focus for most of his adult life. He didn't have a task at hand anymore, and yet, he felt content. He looked at the woman by his side. "Now what?"

She grinned at him, her expression hopeful and her eyes bright. He might not have the Time Gate anymore, but now he had something much better.

...

- Three Weeks Later -

Jane peered at her screens and looked for an interesting case. She was in the center of her place on the bridge, and through her transparent screens were rows of her crew members wearing their red shirts. She found one that caught her eye, it had to do with an ancient artifact being stolen.

Since the explosion of the Time Gate, she had made her way back to her ship and had regained her place as captain. Apparently, after going back in time, on the day she arrived her past self had just disappeared. When she had entered the ship all of her crew members were still there, including the ones that she had witnessed die in her alternate timeline. Triss had been a little bit upset that she had suddenly disappeared, and had reprimanded her accordingly once she arrived. However, the Tresshiss was very excited to learn that she had been promoted. After the sudden disappearance of the Admiral, another person had been promoted and there had been an opening in the Star Fleet for a Captain as the previous captain had been promoted to Admiral. After sending in a few good words, Jane had made sure that Triss would be the one to fill the Captain's shoes. Though she liked her second in command, the fact that Triss had killed her still made her feel uneasy. Besides, she had somebody in mind to fill her shoes, and she knew that it would probably be best if Damian wouldn't have to work with someone he had viciously killed in another timeline.

She smiled as she moved her screen over to the right, catching the attention of her second in command. He glanced over at her inquisitively, his colorful eyes swimming between blue, green and gold. "A new case?" his deep voice rumbled.

Jane had quickly fallen back into her original pattern of soaring through the universe acting as a police force for the Star Fleet, and doing odd jobs on the side when they intrigued her. Anything from catching robbers to solving murders, from spaceships to small planets. Constantly moving, always searching for ways that she could help when there seemed to be no hope.

"A piano?" Damian said, his baritone voice sounding impressed. His hand reached out to the screen to enlarge it as he read the case. His black hair was in stylish curls across his pale forehead and his lips pursed as he read. He was wearing a captains uniform, and though he was only second in command, none of her crew or even any of her superiors objected. They were co-captains, and were regarded as such. "I thought that they didn't exist anymore."

"They're extremely rare and held as relics, normally in museums and such. This one has been stolen, and I'm thinking that someone on this freight carrier that passed through the star system a few days ago is the culprit." She pulled up another screen to show him the carrier and then began to give him more details of the case.

Once she was finished explaining he smiled at her. "You up for a reconnaissance mission to rescue a stolen piano?" He asked, his eyes shining gleefully.

"I thought you'd never ask."

...

Jane crept down the long hallway on the freight container, her gun held at the ready, set to stun. She glanced to the right to look at Damian, who was silently walking beside her, his gun also held out in front of them. Getting aboard the ship had been surprisingly easy; they had taken a small shuttle and had overridden the controls of the freight container, leaving no trace as they opened the hangar doors and slid their innocuous shuttle inside. Once inside they sneaked through the ship, disabling cameras they passed in order to look for the piano without being noticed.

They reached the end of the hallway and Jane peered into the room. The sight before her was spellbinding. The room was completely empty, besides a lone grand piano that stood proudly in the center of the room. The instrument was ancient, its keys corroded and fading, the wood lacking luster without any shine. But it was beautiful. Jane stood and reverently strode into the room, her eyes greedily taking up the sight before her.

"The piano," Damian sighed, looking with respect at the large instrument, a reminiscent of a bygone era.

"It's been so long since I've played one of these," Jane said remorsefully, sliding her fingers silently over the keys, not pressing down on any of them.

Damian glanced at her in shock. She knew that he was still wrapping his head around the fact that she was immortal, but he seemed content with the knowledge. She knew that one day she would outlive him, but as long as he was alive she was going to spend every moment with him and love him.

"You should probably let the ship know that you found your piano," he said, not drawing attention to the fact that she was old enough to have played the instrument when they hadn't been in use for centuries.

She held up her wrist to her mouth and spoke into her silver bracelet that radioed back to her ship. She informed her crew in the control room that they had found the piano and ordered them to follow after freight carrier she and Damian were currently on, and also commanded them to send a message to the carrier that they were under arrest for the stolen piano. Once finished she slid her gun to the floor and extended her fingers over the familiar keys.

"Do you remember any songs?" Damian asked.

Jane smiled. "Of course. But should I risk letting people hear me so that they know we're here?"

Damian shrugged. "They'll know soon enough that a huge Starfleet ship is on their tail, there's no way they'll risk hurting us." He held up his gun, "but just in case, I've got your back."

She reverently sat down on the bench in front of the piano and let the melodic notes of her favorite song flow into her memory. She pressed down on the keys and the clear notes reverberated throughout the room. The piano was in a desperate need of a tuning, but she didn't mind as her muscle memory kicked into play and the sweet melody sprung to life.

Suddenly she delved into her memories, transcending far away from her current location.

_She was sitting at a piano, her fingers moving expertly over the keys as she played her favorite song. She was located in a brightly lit room, and as she glanced around herself she realized that she was in her own house, back in the 21st century, so many long years ago, in a different universe. Her song was interrupted by the sound of loud whirring and whooshing, which made her smile as she released her fingers from the keys. She turned to look into the center of her living room as a blue box began to appear before fading away, the sounds diminishing as the structure became more visible. _

_Once the noises stopped the tardis stood proudly in the center of the room. The doors burst open and the Doctor stepped out, all gangly legs and bow tie. "Jane!" He said excitedly, stepping out of the way as Clara trailed out behind him. _

"_Hello Doctor, Clara," Jane said, amused. She hadn't been expecting a visit. "What are you doing here?"_

"_Keeping my promise," Clara said._

"_Though you won't remember what promise, because it hasn't happened to you yet," The Doctor clarified. _

"_Oh?" Jane asked, intrigued. _

_Clara happily bounded forwards to her. "Yeah, we're here to tell you that we made it, safe and sound." She came and took a seat besides her on the piano bench._

"_RIght, we didn't blow up into a million pieces, and that's good," The Doctor stated as he walked around the living room and peered at the objects she kept on her mantelpiece. _

"_Or get trapped on an alternate universe., Clara added._

"_I have no idea of what you are talking about., Jane said, watching the two of them with a bemused expression. _

"_Good, good, you shouldn't," The Doctor said as he turned back to walk to the tardis. "Alright, we popped in, Clara kept her promise, and we'll be going now."_

"_Oh, you aren't going to stay and chat for a bit?" Jane complained. _

"_Are you kidding?" The Doctor said incredulously, leaning out of the door to the tardis. "If we stay here any longer you're going to whittle the truth out of us and there won't be any surprise for you once you actually experience it!"_

"_Yeah, he might let something slip about your future, like the fact that you fall in love with an extremely handsome, tall, dark haired bloke who is extremely smart," Clara said, jumping to her feet. _

"_Clara!" The Doctor objected. "In the tardis, now!"_

_Jane stood. "Well, I certainly look forwards to whatever you lot are talking about." _

_The Doctor offered her a lopsided grin. "You're going to be waiting a very, very long time, so don't get your hopes up."_

"_Well then, thanks for the spoilers," Jane smirked._

_Clara walked to the tardis and gave her a wave before she stepped inside, the Doctor closing the door behind her. Jane listened to the familiar sounds as the tardis wheezed to life and began slowly fading from sight. She mused about what they could have possibly be talking about, and figured that they had just seen her in the wrong time- on purpose for some reason._

Jane finished the song just as her memory ended. She released her fingers from the keys and smiled brightly, knowing that the doctor was safe. She glanced over at Damian, who was staring at her with awe and respect.

"That was incredible," he said in admiration.

Jane smiled and stood from the piano. "I just remembered something."

His eyebrows pulled together as he peered at her with curiosity. "Oh?"

"It's a memory from when I was back on the other universe. I was playing the same song on a piano, and the doctor came to visit me. He's safe and back where he needs to be."

Damian's expression turned to relief. "Good."

"Do you know what that means?" she asked as she peered into his eyes that were so colorful and bright, the mix of colors melting together.

"What?"

"You kept your promise." She closed her eyes as she leaned into him, running her fingers through his hair as she pulled his face down to give him a meaningful kiss.


End file.
